Venezuelan Police Storm Anti-Government Rally

www.voanews.com VOA News 09 Mar 2003, 07:54 UTC

Venezuelan police clashed with anti-government protesters in the capital, Caracas, Saturday during a failed attempt to arrest an opposition leader.

Police tried to detain Juan Fernandez at an anti-government rally along a crowded highway, but the former executive of the state oil firm (Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.) eluded police, after he addressed the crowd, protesting against President Hugo Chavez.

Mr. Fernandez urged the demonstrators to keep up a campaign of street protests against the leftist leader and warned Mr. Chavez to, in his words, "pack his bags."

Angry protesters hurled stones at the heavily-armed police officers, who in turn, fired tear gas and shots into the air. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The rally was called to show support for opposition leaders who led a two-month general strike against Mr. Chavez that failed to unseat the former paratrooper. The strike fizzled out in early February.

Opposition leaders continue to demand early presidential elections, saying Mr. Chavez is destroying the country's economy. The president has called his opponents coup-plotters trying to return to a time, when he says Venezuela was ruled by an elite minority.