Venezuela's leaders sign anti-violence agreement

news.ft.com By Andy Webb-Vidal in Caracas Published: February 20 2003 19:01 | Last Updated: February 20 2003 19:01

Venezuelan government and opposition representatives on Tuesday signed a pact condemning political violence - the first breakthrough in three months of internationally backed talks aimed at finding an electoral solution to the country's political deadlock.

The agreement, brokered by César Gaviria, secretary-general of the Organisation of American States (OAS), should ease tensions between the government of President Hugo Chávez and the alliance of opposition interest groups ranged against him, analysts said.

Venezuela has been marked by rising levels of street violence, including several deaths in recent months, as timid efforts at dialogue collapsed between Mr Chávez and his foes in the wake of last April's coup attempt prompting the involvement of the OAS.

Opponents say Mr Chávez, although democratically elected four years ago, is bent on abolishing democracy in favour of an autocratic leftist government modelled on that of Cuba's Fidel Castro.

In turn, the populist Mr Chávez, who led a failed military coup in 1992, brands the opponents of his self-styled "Bolivarian revolution" as "coup-plotters".

Among his opponents are more than 12,000 workers who have been fired from Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the state oil company, following an ongoing strike that began in December and has slashed output in what was the world's fifth-largest oil producer with crippling results for the economy.

Analysts said the non-violence agreement suggested some kind of election could be in the offing in the months ahead. "The pact demonstrates that it is possible to reach agreements, and if that is possible, then anything is," said Alfredo Keller, a political consultant.

"However, the impression I have is that Chávez is not interested in an election in which he participates. He is not going to permit that the only visible head of the 'revolution' runs the risk of an electoral defeat," said Mr Keller.

Mr Chávez has in the past two weeks stepped up measures apparently aimed at shoring up his base support among the poor, a move designed to prepare for polls in which regional governors and mayors participate.

But, within the opposition camp, hopes of an early ballot, this year are being pinned on a presidential election with conspicuous signs that Manuel Cova, secretary-general of the Venezuelan Workers Confederation, is being groomed by some groups as a potential single candidate.