www.vheadline.com Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2003 By: Roy S. Carson

President Hugo Chavez Frias says a big surprise is in store for adversaries who are still conspiring against his government in continuing clandestine meetings despite the failure of their 2-month stoppage and last April's abortive coup d'etat.  Speaking on his weekly 'Alo Presidente' broadcast, Chavez Frias said security services have reported a string of covert meetings by parties interested in destabilizing the government.  "I can promise them a big surprise ... they will be neutralized!"

Chavez Frias says the right-wing opposition is now "acting out of desperation, behaving like crazy people rather than to face up to the fact that they're losers!"  He says he fully expects to continue as Head of State for the full period of his mandate until January 10, 2007 ... even with a mid-term revocatory referendum which he fully expects to win by a clear margin.  "There are 1,390 days left until a successive revolutionary government comes to power ... my government has already made significant advances but they are modest compared with what is still to come.  We have targets set in education and public health and we are putting our shoulders to the grindstone with 1.3 billion bolivares investments in health despite the setbacks we have seen in the attempted coup d'etat and more than $4 billion the losses produced by the opposition sabotage of Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA)."

Chavez Frias says that according to year's end 2002 statistics, infant mortality has been reduced from 2.16% to 1.73% since he assumed the Presidency in 1999.  Health Minister Maria Urbaneja says that even the opposition has been forced to admit the achievement although the President says "it is not time to rest on one's laurels but to attack endemic social problems with renewed efforts ... we have increased investment in the treatment of cancer by 84% and in education we have invested an average of 4.053 billion bolivares per year over the last four years, representing an increase of 215%."

Medical volunteers are to kick-start a national Special Plan for Health for Everyone organized by the Armed Services Unified Command (CUFAN) and the Ministry of Health & Social Development (MSDS).   CUFAN C-i-C, General Benito Verde Graterol says 10 billion bolivares have already been assigned to the project which will see medical volunteers take key positions around Venezuela.  The plan also includes an accelerated clearance process for imported medicines and to boost domestic production of essential medicaments and materials for public health services.

Education Minister  Aristobulo Isturiz says that for the first time, more than one million children have been able to attend regular schooling and that a further 600,000 are to be incorporated into the school system at the earliest opportunity.

Rounding up his Sunday talk show, President Chavez Frias said he sincerely regrets that opposition deputy Timoteo Zambrano attempted to drag the First Lady, Marisabel Rodriguez de Chavez into the political fray in a truly irresponsible manner when, last week, he called on the International Red Cross to investigate the alleged "disappearance" of Mrs. Chavez,, who was immediately found shopping in a Barquisimeto (Lara) shoe shop.  "It is just this kind of irresponsible thing that makes fodder for the worst elements in the opposition media ... they too easily pick up malicious comments from people who have no respect for anyone."

www.cbc.ca 10:34 AM EST Mar 15

CARACAS (AP) - A leader of a failed two-month strike to oust President Hugo Chavez was granted political asylum by Costa Rica on Friday, the Costa Rican foreign ministry said.

Labour union leader Carlos Ortega, who faces treason charges, entered the embassy earlier Friday, Costa Rican Ambassador Ricardo Lisano said.

"For humanitarian reasons ... (Costa Rica) decided to grant asylum and it has communicated as much to the Venezuelan government," the Costa Rican foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement said Ortega cited fear for his personal security when he requested asylum. He had been in hiding since Feb. 20, after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest for treason, rebellion and incitement.

Hundreds of flag-waving supporters gathered around the Costa Rican embassy in eastern Caracas chanting, "Ortega, friend, the people are with you!"

Ortega, head of the country's largest labour union, helped orchestrate a general strike to demand early elections or Chavez's resignation. The strike, which petered out last month, paralysed Venezuela's lifeblood oil industry and cost the country about $9 billion Cdn, according to government estimates.

Last month, authorities arrested strike leader Carlos Fernandez, president of Venezuela's largest business association. He is under house arrest pending trial on charges of rebellion and instigation. A judge struck down a treason charge.

Arrests warrants also are out for seven executives of the state-oil monopoly, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. The seven are in hiding.

Secret police stormed an opposition march Saturday in an attempt to arrest oil executive Juan Fernandez, who made a surprise brief appearance. The police clashed with protesters, and Fernandez escaped.

Opposition leaders have denounced the arrest warrants as political persecution. Chavez says strike leaders must be imprisoned for at least 20 years for inflicting suffering on the population.

Ortega is third Chavez opponent to seek asylum abroad.

Last year, Colombia granted asylum to business leader Pedro Carmona, the figurehead in an April coup that ousted Chavez for two days. El Salvador granted asylum to another alleged coup leader, Vice Admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo.

Chavez opponents accuse him of steering Venezuela's economy into recession with leftist policies. They also say he has accumulated too much power under the guise of a "social revolution" to help the poor.

Chavez says his foes resent his efforts to end social inequality and his success in wresting power from two corrupt traditional parties that ruled Venezuela for 40 years until his 1998 election.

Chavez fired 15,000 workers from the oil monopoly - almost half the work force - for participating in the stoppage. He has threatened to close down four private television stations that gave supportive coverage to the strike.

Venezuela's oil industry, the source of half of government income and 80 per cent of export revenue, is recovering from the strike. Oil production has reached 2.9 million barrels a day, according to the government. Fired PDVSA executives say it's only 2.1 million barrels a day, about two-thirds of what it was before the strike.

Venezuela was the world's fifth-largest oil exporter before the strike.

www.sfgate.com Friday, March 14, 2003
(03-14) 11:29 PST (AP) --

Arrests warrants are out for seven executives of the state-oil monopoly, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. The seven are in hiding.

Secret police stormed an opposition march Saturday in an attempt to arrest oil executive Juan Fernandez, who made a surprise brief appearance. The police clashed with protesters, and Fernandez got away.

Opposition leaders have denounced the arrest warrants as political persecution. Chavez says strike leaders must be imprisoned for at least 20 years for inflicting suffering on the population.

Ortega is third Chavez opponent to seek asylum abroad.

Last year, Colombia granted asylum to business leader Pedro Carmona, the figurehead in an April coup that ousted Chavez for two days. El Salvador granted asylum to another alleged coup leader, Vice Admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo.

Chavez opponents accuse him of steering Venezuela's economy into recession with leftist policies. They also say he has accumulated too much power under the guise of a "social revolution" to help the poor.

Chavez says his foes resent his efforts to end social inequality and his success in wresting power from two corrupt traditional parties that ruled Venezuela for 40 years until his 1998 election.

Chavez fired 15,000 workers from the oil monopoly -- almost half the workforce -- for participating in the stoppage. He has threatened to close down four private television stations that gave supportive coverage to the strike.

Venezuela's oil industry -- the source of half of government income and 80 percent of export revenue -- is recovering from the strike. Oil production has reached 2.9 million barrels a day, according to the government. Fired PDVSA executives say it's only 2.1 million barrels a day, about two-thirds of what it was before the strike.

Venezuela was the world's fifth-largest oil exporter before the strike.

A study by Banco Provincial this week predicted Venezuela's economy would shrink more than 40 percent in the first three months of the year. That would follow a 9 percent contraction in 2002.

news.bbc.co.uk Last Updated:  Friday, 14 March, 2003, 22:20 GMT

Costa Rica has granted political asylum to a leader of the recent failed strike to oust Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Carlos Ortega, who faces rebellion and incitement charges, walked into the Costa Rican embassy in Caracas on Friday, saying he feared for his personal safety.

The trade union leader, who had been in hiding, played a key part in the two-month strike which paralysed Venezuela's vital oil industry.

Venezuelan Interior and Justice Minister Lucas Rincon said Mr Ortega would be given safe passage out of the country.

Popular support

"For humanitarian reasons... [Costa Rica] decided to grant asylum and it has communicated as much to the Venezuelan Government," a Costa Rican foreign ministry statement said.

Hundreds of flag-waving supporters of Mr Ortega surrounded the embassy to cheer him, chanting "Ortega, friend, the people are with you!"

Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel issued a statement in which he did not criticise Costa Rica's decision to grant Mr Ortega asylum but condemned the two-month strike he had helped organise.

"Dangerous events occurred which endangered the life and physical safety of the population," he said.

Crackdown

Mr Ortega had been in hiding since 20 February when a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

The president of the one-million-strong Venezuelan Workers Confederation was initially accused of treason, rebellion and incitement though the charge of treason was later withdrawn.

Chavez regards strike leaders as traitors

Another leader of the strike, Carlos Fernandez of the Venezuelan business confederation Fedecameras, is currently under house arrest awaiting trial on the same charges.

Arrest warrants have also been issued for seven fugitive executives of the state oil monopoly, Petroleos de Venezuela SA.

President Chavez has allowed two other major political foes to leave the country over the past year:

• Pedro Carmona, who briefly replaced him as president during April's coup, was allowed to leave for Colombia

• Naval officer Carlos Molina, who faced an investigation for his part in the coup, was granted refuge in El Salvador

Venezuela's strike, which petered out in February, was the culmination of unrest against President Chavez, a populist leader with leftist tendencies who narrowly survived a coup in 2002.

His critics accuse him of amassing power and damaging the economy with his policies.

Venezuela, once the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, is still recovering from the strike.

www.alertnet.org 14 Mar 2003 19:27

CARACAS, Venezuela, March 14 (Reuters) - A Venezuelan union boss sought by authorities for leading a crippling strike against President Hugo Chavez has asked for political asylum at the Costa Rican embassy, a government official said on Friday.

Carlos Ortega, a fierce critic of Chavez who spearheaded the two-month opposition strike that tried to oust the leftist leader, went into hiding last month ago after the government arrested another strike leader.

"The information I have is that he has asked for asylum from the government of Costa Rica," Interior Minister Lucas Rincon said.

Opposition demonstrators quickly surrounded the Costa Rican embassy building in support of Ortega, who faces civil rebellion and other charges for leading the strike that disrupted oil output in the world's No. 5 petroleum exporter.

Chavez, a former paratrooper who survived a brief coup in April last year, brands his political enemies "terrorists and coup mongers". He has threatened to arrest strike leaders who he accuses of trying to sabotage the oil industry.

Ortega is the third major foe of Chavez to seek political sanctuary overseas in the last year.

Pedro Carmona, the opposition business chief who briefly replaced Chavez as president during April's coup last year, was allowed to leave for Colombia last year. Retired naval officer Carlos Molina, who faced an investigation for his part in the coup, was later granted refuge in El Salvador.