Venezuelan general strike leader is charged with treason

www.timesonline.co.uk February 21, 2003 From David Adams in Miami

THE leader of Venezuela’s general strike, Carlos Fernández, was arrested by secret police and charged with treason and civil rebellion yesterday in what appears to be a new crackdown on political opposition by President Chávez.

The arrest comes only two days after the Government and opposition leaders reached an agreement over a non-violence pact to try to ease political tensions. Señor Fernández is president of the country’s business organisation and one of the main leaders of the strike.

He was arrested by armed agents from the Intelligence Police Service while dining at a local steakhouse. He faces charges relating to his leadership of the two-month strike, which has severely restricted his country’s economy. The strike, which lasted from December 2 to February 4, was called to demand President Chávez’s resignation or early elections.

Other strike leaders also face arrest and the President says they should be prosecuted for trying to topple the Government through economic sabotage. The opposition says that Señor Fernández’s arrest is tantamount to a kidnapping and accuses the Government of trying to impose a dictatorial system using threats and intimidation. It said yesterday that it had collected 4.4. million signatures on a petition calling for a constitutional amendment to cut President Chávez’s term in office from six to four years.

Under the constitution, organisers need signatures from 15 per cent, or about 1.8 million, of the country’s 12 million registered voters, to force a referendum on the amendment.

Another strike leader, Carlos Ortega, of the Venezuelan Workers’ Confederation, condemned the arrest as “a terrorist act”.