Talks on ending turmoil stalled in Venezuela

www.globeandmail.com Associated Press

Caracas — A march by thousands of antigovernment protesters forced the suspension of talks aimed at ending Venezuela's political turmoil Wednesday, while the U.S. embassy beefed up security following "credible" threats.

Marching just days after the arrest of a leader of a crippling two-month strike, the demonstrators dared President Hugo Chavez's government to jail them, waving placards reading "Chavez, your mask is off, dictator!" and "Put us all in prison!"

Talks between government and opposition delegates were scheduled to begin mid-afternoon Wednesday, but the marchers' route passed by the negotiations venue, forcing their rescheduling until Thursday.

Protest leader Carlos Fernandez has been ordered under house arrest to face rebellion and other charges for leading the 63-day general strike against Mr. Chavez. Police are searching for strike co-leader and labour boss Carlos Ortega.

The protesters marched past the Fedecamaras business chamber of which Mr. Fernandez is president and ended at the labour confederation headquarters where Mr. Ortega is president. There were no reports of violence.

Authorities were also seeking to arrest seven people who were fired from executive positions with the state-run oil company for participating in the work stoppage. A judge issued the warrants Wednesday night.

Juan Echeverria, an attorney representing the executives, said he had reports that they would be charged with interrupting and "damaging the means used to supply" fuel, which carries a sentence of up to six years upon conviction.

Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy closed Wednesday after receiving "credible information of a threat to its security," a statement said. The closure came a day after two bombs ravaged Colombian and Spanish diplomatic missions, injuring four people and generating fears that the nation's political crisis was entering a more violent phase.

At a U.S. request, Venezuelan officials said they sent more than a dozen federal agents, national guardsmen and municipal police to boost security around the embassy, which wasn't expected to reopen until Friday.

"Practically all the security, protection and surveillance measures have been taken," said Dany Azuaje, police coordinator for the interior ministry.

No one claimed responsibility for Tuesday's bombings, which blew out ceilings and twisted metal street signs. Both sides in Venezuela's conflict blamed each other and the finger-pointing threatened to undermine Organization of American States-sponsored negotiations.

"Negotiations, it seems, are becoming less and less viable as the days go on," said Michael Shifter, an analyst at the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue think tank.

Leaflets supporting Mr. Chavez were found near both blasts. They were seized on by the opposition as evidence that the attacks were carried out by government sympathizers. Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel ridiculed the suggestions and said opponents of the President might have been involved.

Mr. Fernandez's arrest came just days after the sides signed an agreement rejecting violence and provocative language.

"The government is violating and walking all over the agreement that we signed when the ink has not even dried," said Americo Martin, one of the opposition delegates at the peace talks.

The opposition leader said he would fight the detention order. "I'm a political prisoner," he said from his home.

Mr. Chavez called Mr. Fernandez and Mr. Ortega "terrorists" on Sunday for commanding the opposition movement that paralyzed much of Venezuela and cost more than $4-billion (U.S.), hitting the oil industry hardest. He also lambasted representatives of the Spanish and Colombian governments, together with the United States and OAS Secretary-General Cesar Gaviria, for "meddling in Venezuela's affairs."

These comments, say opposition leaders, directly provoked the embassy attacks.

In a statement, government negotiators said they rejected any attempts to take Venezuela's internal politics to an outside arena. They warned of a "clear break within the opposition and the emergence of an ultra-radical sector which has definitively taken the shortcut of terrorism and risk."