Thousands march in support of Venezuelan oil workers

www.startribune.com Stephen Ixer Associated Press

CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- Tens of thousands of Venezuelans marched Saturday in support of 9,000 oil workers fired for leading a two-month strike against President Hugo Chavez.

Chavez opponents, waving national flags and chanting anti-government slogans, gathered outside four Caracas office buildings of the state oil monopoly .

Venezuela's opposition -- business groups, labor unions and leftist and conservative politicians -- ended a two-month general strike last week in all areas but the crucial oil industry. The strike began Dec. 2 and sought Chavez's resignation or early elections.

The government claims that most of the oil industry's 40,000 employees have returned to work. Strike leaders deny this, saying thousands refuse to return until Chavez rehires the fired workers and agrees to an early vote on his rule.

The government gradually is restoring Venezuela's oil industry, which was the world's fifth-largest exporter and a major U.S. supplier before the strike, when production was 3 million barrels a day.

Production during the strike fell to a low of 200,000 barrels. The government says production now is at 1.9 million barrels, while dissident executives put the figure at 1.3 million.

Two of the country's three major refineries remain largely idle, and gasoline is scarce nationwide. Motorists wait in mile-long lines outside the few service stations with supplies.

"Venezuelans are fed up," store owner Carlos Herrera, 43, said at Saturday's march. "While Chavez fires brave workers, the people are still suffering from gasoline shortages because he has hired a bunch of incapable mercenaries. Their only merit is being partisan to his revolution."