Venezuelan Police Fail to Arrest Former Oil Executive

www.voanews.com VOA News 09 Mar 2003, 02:34 UTC

Venezuelan police fired shots into the air and launched tear gas Saturday during a failed attempt to arrest an opposition leader.

Police tried to arrest Juan Fernandez at an anti-government rally along a crowded highway in Caracas.

The former executive of the state oil firm PDVSA eluded police by slipping away after he addressed the crowd of demonstrators, who were protesting against President Hugo Chavez.

Mr. Fernandez warned Mr. Chavez to, in his words, "pack his bags." Angry protesters confronted police, hurling stones at the heavily-armed police officers. The police, in turn, fired tear gas and shots into the air.

Demonstrators showed their support for opposition leaders who led a failed two-month strike against Mr. Chavez. One of the leaders is under house arrest, and several others are running from authorities.

Opposition leaders have called for early elections, saying Mr. Chavez has done more harm than good to Venezuela's economy. The president has called his opponents coup-plotters trying to return to the old status quo, when power was held by an elite minority.