Foreign Minister unsure how long Ortega processing will take

www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Venezuelan Foreign (MRE) Minister Roy Chaderton Matos has cautioned that he is unsure how long it will take for Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) president Carlos Ortega's application for safe conduct to Costa Rica to be processed as "these things take time."

Ortega is currently confined to the Costa Rican embassy in Caracas after having his application for political asylum granted by the Costa Rican government.

The Minister estimated that the application could take between one and seven days to process, but insisted that it would be completed as soon as possible and that no conditions would be placed on the Costa Ricans as a result.

Ortega applied for asylum after an arrest warrant was issued for his involvement in the two month long national work stoppage which began on December 2. Fellow strike leader Carlos Fernandez was arrested and after being placed under house arrest he has been rushed to a private clinic as his health continues to deteriorate.