Coordinadora Democratica calls for rally at Costa Rican embassy

www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Coordinadora Democratica is calling for opposition supporters to hold a demonstration outside the Costa Rican embassy in Caracas to say farewell to Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) president Carlos Ortega who is set to leave Venezuela seeking political asylum while an arrest warrant remains hanging over his head for his role in the two-month long work stoppage which brought much of Venezuela's economy to a virtual stand still until the strike ended on February 2.

The rally is set to commence at 10:00 a.m. just a few hours before Ortega flies to San Jose de Costa Rica and this follows an approval from the Costa Rican government granting Ortega political asylum after he claimed that he has been the victim of political persecution by President Hugo Chavez Frias and his government.

Ortega went on the run shortly after fellow strike leader Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Fedecamaras) Carlos Fernandez was arrested.