www.wilmingtonstar.com Last changed: March 18. 2003 4:11PM By FABIOLA SANCHEZ Associated Press Writer

Former oil executive Juan Fernandez hugs his daughters Esther, 19, left, and Christina, 16, at the offices of the state oil monopoly, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., after emerging from weeks of hiding in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, March 18, 2003. Seven former oil executives emerged from hiding after a judge struck down warrants for their arrest on charges related to a two-month strike that sought President Hugo Chavez's ouster. The seven had been accused of interrupting and damaging the country's fuel supply.

Seven former oil executives emerged from weeks of hiding Tuesday after a judge struck down warrants for their arrest on charges stemming from a two-month strike that sought President Hugo Chavez's ouster. The executives hugged one another in front of the Caracas offices of the state oil monopoly, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. Hundreds of supporters cheered and waved flags. "At moments like this words just don't come. I just want to say thanks," former executive Juan Fernandez said. "This decision gives us hope in the Venezuelan justice system. There are still judges willing to maintain their independence." The seven were accused of interrupting and damaging the country's fuel supply. They went into hiding for three weeks until an appeals court dropped the charge Monday. Prosecutors said they would appeal that ruling in the Supreme Court. The executives were among 15,000 oil workers - almost half the oil monopoly's work force - sacked for joining a walkout to demand Chavez's resignation or early elections. The strike, which fizzled last month, paralyzed the world's fifth-largest oil exporting industry and cost Venezuela $6 billion. The government says oil production has risen to 3 million barrels a day, almost what it was before the strike. But fired executives insisted Tuesday that production was 2.4 million barrels. Private economists expect Venezuela's economy to shrink 40 percent in the first three months of the year, after contracting 9 percent in 2002. Foes say Chavez is persecuting opponents, trampling the country's democratic institutions and fomenting class hatred. The former army paratrooper accuses opponents of trying to overthrow a democratically elected president and bring Venezuela back under the control of two corrupt traditional parties that ruled for 40 years until his 1998 election. Also Tuesday, strike leader Carlos Ortega waited for the Venezuelan government to grant him safe conduct to Costa Rica, where he has been given asylum. Venezuelan officials have indicated the government would do so. The head of Venezuela's largest labor union slipped into the Costa Rican Embassy on Friday, fleeing charges of treason, rebellion and instigation. The Costa Rican government granted Ortega territorial asylum Monday for what it said were "humanitarian reasons." Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar said the labor leader would be leaving for the Central American country soon. Costa Rican Ambassador Ricardo Lizano met Tuesday with Venezuelan Vice Foreign Minister Arevalo Mendez. "Costa Rica maintains cordial, respectful, institutional relations with President Hugo Chavez's government," Lizano said. He urged Ortega not to become "an instrument that perturbs relations between two countries that have diplomatic relations." Co-strike leader Carlos Fernandez, the president of Venezuela's biggest business association, is under house arrest awaiting trial for rebellion and instigation.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Costa Rican Ambassador Ricardo Lizano has contradicted Venezuelan Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) president Carlos Ortega’s lawyer, Omar Estacio. “Mr. Ortega has asked for territorial asylum in Costa Rica and my government is still studying the petition.”

Wrapping Ortega and the Venezuelan opposition over the knuckles, Lizano says he's the only person authorized to issue on behalf of Costa Rica.

Estacio had set the cat among the pigeons by announcing that his client has asked for political but not territorial asylum and that Ortega could be transferred to a third country.

The ploy has apparently backfired and Ortega has been asked to tone down and play by diplomatic rules since he is now a guest of the Costa Rican government.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 By: David Coleman

Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Fedecamaras) president Carlos Fernandez has been rushed to hospital after suffering "cardiac complications" at his luxury villa in Valencia (Carabobo State) where he has been contained under house arrest since his dramatic arrest at the end of February.

A judge has formally signed papers releasing Fernandez for three days to the care of a private cardiology unit for tests and treatment after complaints about his deteriorating state of health. Family members say Fernandez has suffered from heart failure and hyperglycemia meriting intensive care and cardiac monitoring among other treatments.

Government security services are, however, alerted to the possibility that the hospitalization is a ruse to prepare Fernandez' escape from justice ... his predecessor as Fedecamaras president, Dictator-for-a-Day Pedro Carmona Estanga had duped his police minders to escape from house arrest to claim asylum at the Colombian embassy in Caracas ... he is now in self-enforced exile in Bogota.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Monday, March 17, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Member of the December-January national stoppage triumvirate, former Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) executive, Juan Fernandez has called on the opposition to resist and concentrate on getting rid of President Hugo Chavez Frias.

24-hour TV news outlet Globovision has been building up Fernandez’ image with messages from his hideout in an effort to regain political clout that slipped away from the loony opposition after the failed stoppage.

Federation of Chambers of Industry & Commerce (Fedecamaras) president Carlos Fernandez is under house arrest and Venezuelan Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) president, Carlos Ortega is holed-up at the Costa Rican Embassy.

PDVSA Fernandez calls on people to return to the streets to protest because “there isn’t a government that can resist.” Calling the government “totalitarian and undemocratic,” Fernandez ... who the opposition media is attempting to convert into some kind of 'Creole' Scarlet Pimpernel ... says he's being politically persecuted in a Venezuela "devoid of liberty."

blogs.salon.com

Whenever one source tells me something, I just process the information and leave it at that. When two sources tell me the same thing, I begin to wonder and look for confirmation. But when three different and reliable sources give me the same information. I use my long standing argument that I do not believe in coincidences. Well, three different sources have given me, in the last three days, the same information about a conspiray that appears so clever at first sight that it may actually be true. Cesar Gaviria, who has been in Caracas since November,has only left for Christmas and once or twice to attend to his responsabilities as Secretary General of the OAS, but this time has left on purpose. Basically, he believes that his presence in Caracas essentially has stopped the Governemnt from uncontrolled and illegal or undemocratic behavior. This week Gaviria left for one week, reportedly to take care of OAS businesses in Bolivia. Well, what I am being told is that the true reason was to see if in his absence the Chavez administration does something that would allow Gaviria to go on the international offensive against the Chavez administration and help push forward negotiations. I am told that even Colombian President Uribe is part of this convoluted conspiracy to press for a negotiation towards an end to the Venezuelan political crisis. True? False? I simply don't know, but we will se if anything happens in the next few days anyway.