Opposition leader arrested for 'treason' in Venezuela

www.latintrade.com 02/20/2003 - Source: Latin American Newsletters

The Venezuelan authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the trade union leader Carlos Ortega, who helped lead a nine-week business strike against the government. The move follows the arrest of Venezuela's top business leader Carlos Fernández in the early hours of this morning.

Both men have been accused of 'civil rebellion, treason, incitement to crime, conspiracy and devastation', in a court summons issued at the request of the public prosecutor yesterday.

Carlos Fernández, the president of the business federation, Fedecámaras, was arrested by the intelligence services (Disip) leaving a restaurant in Caracas last night. He is being held in the police headquarters and has been seen by lawyers and his wife, who says he is physically well. Under Venezuelan law, he must appear in court within 48 hours.

Ortega, the president of Colombia's largest trade union confederation, the CTV, declared today that he would not hand himself in to the authorities, but would instead go into hiding. Ortega told 'Unión Radio' that the opposition would call an urgent meeting to discuss how to respond to 'this terrorist escalation by the government'. He said the opposition would call street demonstrations and appeal to the international community.