Venezuela Referendum Talks May Resume Next Week, Paper Says
By Peter Wilson
Caracas, April 26 (<a href=quote.bloomberg.com>Bloomberg) -- Talks between Venezuela's government and opposition groups about a referendum on President Hugo Chavez term in office may resume next week as Organization of American States Secretary General Cesar Gaviria tries to salvage an earlier accord, El Nacional reported.
Talks will center on bridging differences between the two sides, which reached a tentative agreement on April 11, the newspaper said, citing an unidentified official close to the talks. That agreement was subsequently rejected by the government, which objected to clauses agreeing to the presence of international observers.
Gaviria left yesterday for Colombia and may travel to the U.S. before returning to oversee talks.
A referendum would end two years of protests and strikes by the opposition, who demand that Chavez, a former army lieutenant colonel, resign or call early elections. Opponents agreed to a binding referendum to be held after August, the midpoint of Chavez's six-year term, after a two-month national strike failed.
(EN 4-26, A2)
For El Nacional's Web site, click on {NCNL