news.ft.com By Reuters - January 21 2003 0:25

CARACAS, Venezuela - One person has been killed and two dozen wounded by gunfire during street clashes in Venezuela as Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter tried to salvage peace talks between leftist President Hugo Chavez and his foes, officials said.

Clashes involving police and rival protesters broke out on Monday when Chavez supporters attacked an opposition march in Charallave, about 30 miles (50 km) south of Caracas, where demonstrators exchanged volleys of bottles and rocks.

Local television images showed one man opening fire into a crowd with a handgun as he rode on the roof of a jeep. Both sides blamed each other for the violence.

Initial accounts of casualties were confused. But a Civil Protection official said one man was shot dead and 24 people were wounded by gunfire in the fighting. It was unclear who had opened fire. At least four others were injured in the clashes.

"The number of wounded is up to 28 and 17 of those are in critical condition," Edith Garcia, a Civil Protection spokesperson told Reuters.

Venezuela's tense, often violent political conflict has intensified during a seven-week-old opposition strike aimed at pressing Chavez to resign and call elections in the world's fifth largest oil exporter.

Carter, a former U.S. president on his second visit to Caracas in less than a year, held meetings with Chavez and the opposition, who have been locked in a political standoff since April when the Venezuelan leader survived a short-lived coup.

"There is always hope for a resolution and I hope that will be soon," Carter told reporters as he arrived in Caracas to meet with Organisation of American States head Cesar Gaviria, who brokered the peace talks.

Carter, who carries out international peace work through his Atlanta-based Carter Centre, has been in Venezuela for about a week on a fishing trip. Carter Centre officials have supported the peace talks since they began two months ago.

CHAVEZ THREAT TO QUIT TALKS

Negotiations between Chavez and his foes were thrown into doubt over the weekend after the populist leader threatened to quit the talks even as the international community stepped up support for OAS mediation.

The talks have been stalled over the timing of elections and how to end the opposition strike that has cut oil output and severely disrupted fuel and food supplies.

Chavez, elected in 1998 six years after leading a botched coup, has dismissed his foes as "fascist terrorists" plotting to overthrow him. But his critics, who say Chavez has wielded power like a corrupt, inept dictator, have vowed to keep up the strike until he steps down. Chavez rejects their calls for early elections.

The strike deadlock has raised international concern over global oil supplies at a time when energy markets are already jittery over a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq. Venezuela usually supplies about one-sixth of U.S. oil imports.

Oil prices crept higher Monday after Washington said time was running out for Baghdad to prove compliance with United Nations disarmament resolutions. U.S. crude prices last week hit two-year highs of $34 a barrel.

Crude supply fears have intensified diplomatic efforts to end the Venezuelan crisis. The United States, Brazil and other governments have agreed to form a group of six nations to lend weight to mediation efforts by OAS chief Gaviria.

U.N. ENVOY TO VENEZUELA

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans to send an envoy to Venezuela to take part in the initiative, which also includes Spain, Portugal, Chile and Mexico. The group will hold its first meeting in Washington on Friday, the Brazilian foreign minister said.

But Chavez cast doubt on the plan by insisting that other countries, such as Russia, Cuba and France, also be included.

Opposition leaders are also planning to hold a nonbinding referendum on his rule on February 2. But Chavez insists a binding referendum can only be held after August 19, halfway through his current term.

The Venezuelan leader said on Sunday he was restarting the strike-bound oil industry, which accounts for about half of the government's revenues, using troops and replacement crews. But strikers insist production is still mostly paralysed.

Government officials on Monday warned two private television stations, which have been critical of Chavez, that they faced fines for running commercials backing the strike. The stations slammed the move as an attack on media freedom.

Chavez has also ordered troops to raid factories, banks and schools joining the stoppage, as well as food and drink manufacturers he accuses of hoarding supplies. National Guard troops sparked opposition outrage on Friday after they broke into a local bottling affiliate of Cola-Cola Co. to take away crates of drinks.

www.startribune.com Fabiola Sanchez Associated Press Published Jan. 21, 2003 VENE21 

CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter renewed efforts to mediate Venezuela's political crisis Monday even as violence surged between supporters and opponents of President Hugo Chavez. Gunfire during a protest march left one dead and 15 wounded, officials said.

Miranda state Gov. Enrique Mendoza, a Chavez opponent, said Chavez supporters attacked an opposition march in Charallave, about 20 miles south of Caracas, on the 50th day of a strike to unseat Chavez.

Raul Gonzalez, 38, said he and other Chavez supporters blocked a road as opposition marchers approached and both sides began throwing rocks and bottles.

"There were shots from all over. Everything was in confusion," Gonzalez said at an area hospital, where he was being treated for a bullet wound in his leg. He said he didn't know where the gunfire came from.

Opposition marcher Mayordina Morales, 52, said both sides were throwing objects at each other when police started shooting.

Officials identified the fatality as Carlos Garcia, about 30 years old.

Fifteen people were wounded by gunfire, said Milagros Toro, an official with the state epidemiology department. Twelve people incurred other injuries.

Six people have died in protests since Venezuela's opposition called the strike Dec. 2, crippling the world's fifth-largest oil exporter.

Carter met with Chavez, opposition figures and Cesar Gaviria, secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS). Gaviria has tried since November to mediate an electoral solution to the crisis.

"I have always hoped for a resolution, and I hope there will be one," said Carter, who was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His Atlanta-based Carter Center is sponsoring the talks with the OAS and the United Nations.

Chavez has threatened to abandon the talks. On Sunday, he accused the opposition of trying to oust him even as its leaders sat at the negotiating table.

The National Elections Council has agreed to organize a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum asking citizens whether Chavez should step down.

Chavez says the constitution only allows a binding referendum halfway through his six-year-term in August. The Supreme Court is considering the matter.

www.forbes.com Reuters, 01.20.03, 2:26 PM ET

CARACAS, Venezuela, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government plans to temporarily lift import tariffs on a range of essential food items and consumer goods to ease shortages caused by a 50-day-old opposition strike, Production and Trade Minister Ramon Rosales said Monday.

The affected food products would include grains, pre-cooked maize flour, refined sugar, tuna and soft drinks. Also included in the measure would be detergents, toilet paper and raw material inputs for the food packaging industry.

Rosales told Reuters in an interview the measure would take effect this week and would last six months.

"Tariffs will be lifted for the import of some food products ... some inputs for industries ... and non-food products which are basic consumer items," he said.

The seven-week-old strike called by opposition leaders against leftist President Chavez has drastically reduced oil production and exports by the world's No. 5 petroleum exporter. It has also caused shortages of gasoline, some foodstuffs and basic consumer items.

www.adn.com By FABIOLA SANCHEZ, Associated Press Writer

CARACAS, Venezuela (January 20, 5:07 p.m. AST) - Former President Jimmy Carter renewed efforts to mediate Venezuela's political crisis Monday even as violence surged again between supporters and opponents of President Hugo Chavez. Gunfire during a protest march left one dead and 15 wounded, officials said.

Miranda state Gov. Enrique Mendoza, a Chavez opponent, said Chavez supporters attacked an opposition march in Charallave, about 20 miles south of Caracas, on the 50th day of a strike against Chavez.

Raul Gonzalez, 38, said he and other Chavez supporters blocked a road as opposition marchers approached and both sides began tossing rocks and bottles.

"I heard shots and fell down," Gonzalez said at Hospital General de Ocumare del Tuy, where he was being treated for a bullet wound in his leg. "There were shots from all over. Everything was in confusion."

Gonzalez said he did not know where the gunfire came from.

Opposition marcher Mayordina Morales, 52, said both sides were throwing objects at each other when police started shooting.

The shooting victim was identified by officials as Carlos Garcia, who is about 30 years old.

Fifteen people were wounded gunfire, said Milagros Toro, an official with the state epidemiology department. Twelve people suffered other injuries.

Six people have died in protests since Venezuela's opposition called the strike Dec. 2, crippling the world's fifth-largest oil exporter.

Carter was meeting with Chavez, opposition figures and Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States. Gaviria has tried since November to mediate an electoral solution to Venezuela's crisis. Carter was participating in a negotiating session Monday.

"I have always hoped for a resolution, and I hope there will be one," said the Nobel Peace Prize winner, whose Atlanta-based Carter Center is sponsoring the talks with the OAS and the United Nations.

Chavez has threatened to abandon the talks. On Sunday, he accused the opposition of trying to oust him even as its leaders sat at the negotiating table.

"We don't talk with terrorists," Chavez said.

Opposition parties, business leaders and labor unions called the strike to demand that Chavez resign or call early elections. The National Elections Council accepted an opposition petition and agreed to organize a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum asking citizens whether Chavez should step down.

Chavez says the constitution only allows a binding referendum halfway through his six-year-term. The Supreme Court is considering the matter.

The strike has slashed Venezuela's oil production by more than two-thirds and caused severe shortages of gasoline, food and drinking water. It has cost Venezuela $4 billion, according to the government, and contributed to the plummeting of the bolivar currency.

Six countries - Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United States - began an initiative called "Friends of Venezuela" to help end the crisis. Chavez warned the six nations his government will not allow interference in domestic affairs.

Trying to break the strike, Chavez sent soldiers to seize water, soft drinks and beer from two bottling plants, provoking an outcry from business leaders, human rights groups and U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro.

One bottler was a Coca-Cola affiliate while the other belonged to Venezuela's largest food and drinks producer, Empresas Polar. Both firms denied hoarding goods.

The Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce condemned the raids as "a grave rupture of the state of law." It warned more than 1,000 affiliates that the army could commit more abuses and urged them to report alleged violations.

Microsoft Corp. said Monday it was shutting down two Venezuela offices because it cannot guarantee employees' security. The company has about 85 employees in Caracas and six in Maracaibo.

Chavez has used troops to seize gasoline trucks, arrest striking oil tanker crews and keep strikers out of oil installations. He has fired more than 1,000 employees from the state oil monopoly.

Before the strike, Venezuela was the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and fourth-largest oil supplier to the United States.

It pre-strike output of 3 million barrels a day was at 800,000 barrels, the government claims. Strike leaders put the figure at 627,000.

The 48-year-old Chavez was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000 on promises to redistribute the country's vast oil wealth among the poor majority.

His opponents say his leftist policies have driven the country toward economic ruin, citing 17 percent unemployment and 30 percent inflation. They also say his autocratic style erodes democratic institutions.

The government Monday also notified private television stations Globovision and Radio Caracas Television that they faced administrative proceedings for allegedly supporting efforts to topple Chavez.

The complaint alleges the stations illegally ran opposition advertisements supporting the 50-day-old strike and promoting anti-government marches, Globovision reported.

The stations, which long have accused Chavez of trying to stifle freedom of expression, face fines or the losses of their broadcasting licenses.

www.adn.com By FABIOLA SANCHEZ, Associated Press Writer

CARACAS, Venezuela (January 20, 5:07 p.m. AST) - Former President Jimmy Carter renewed efforts to mediate Venezuela's political crisis Monday even as violence surged again between supporters and opponents of President Hugo Chavez. Gunfire during a protest march left one dead and 15 wounded, officials said.

Miranda state Gov. Enrique Mendoza, a Chavez opponent, said Chavez supporters attacked an opposition march in Charallave, about 20 miles south of Caracas, on the 50th day of a strike against Chavez.

Raul Gonzalez, 38, said he and other Chavez supporters blocked a road as opposition marchers approached and both sides began tossing rocks and bottles.

"I heard shots and fell down," Gonzalez said at Hospital General de Ocumare del Tuy, where he was being treated for a bullet wound in his leg. "There were shots from all over. Everything was in confusion."

Gonzalez said he did not know where the gunfire came from.

Opposition marcher Mayordina Morales, 52, said both sides were throwing objects at each other when police started shooting.

The shooting victim was identified by officials as Carlos Garcia, who is about 30 years old.

Fifteen people were wounded gunfire, said Milagros Toro, an official with the state epidemiology department. Twelve people suffered other injuries.

Six people have died in protests since Venezuela's opposition called the strike Dec. 2, crippling the world's fifth-largest oil exporter.

Carter was meeting with Chavez, opposition figures and Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States. Gaviria has tried since November to mediate an electoral solution to Venezuela's crisis. Carter was participating in a negotiating session Monday.

"I have always hoped for a resolution, and I hope there will be one," said the Nobel Peace Prize winner, whose Atlanta-based Carter Center is sponsoring the talks with the OAS and the United Nations.

Chavez has threatened to abandon the talks. On Sunday, he accused the opposition of trying to oust him even as its leaders sat at the negotiating table.

"We don't talk with terrorists," Chavez said.

Opposition parties, business leaders and labor unions called the strike to demand that Chavez resign or call early elections. The National Elections Council accepted an opposition petition and agreed to organize a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum asking citizens whether Chavez should step down.

Chavez says the constitution only allows a binding referendum halfway through his six-year-term. The Supreme Court is considering the matter.

The strike has slashed Venezuela's oil production by more than two-thirds and caused severe shortages of gasoline, food and drinking water. It has cost Venezuela $4 billion, according to the government, and contributed to the plummeting of the bolivar currency.

Six countries - Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United States - began an initiative called "Friends of Venezuela" to help end the crisis. Chavez warned the six nations his government will not allow interference in domestic affairs.

Trying to break the strike, Chavez sent soldiers to seize water, soft drinks and beer from two bottling plants, provoking an outcry from business leaders, human rights groups and U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro.

One bottler was a Coca-Cola affiliate while the other belonged to Venezuela's largest food and drinks producer, Empresas Polar. Both firms denied hoarding goods.

The Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce condemned the raids as "a grave rupture of the state of law." It warned more than 1,000 affiliates that the army could commit more abuses and urged them to report alleged violations.

Microsoft Corp. said Monday it was shutting down two Venezuela offices because it cannot guarantee employees' security. The company has about 85 employees in Caracas and six in Maracaibo.

Chavez has used troops to seize gasoline trucks, arrest striking oil tanker crews and keep strikers out of oil installations. He has fired more than 1,000 employees from the state oil monopoly.

Before the strike, Venezuela was the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and fourth-largest oil supplier to the United States.

It pre-strike output of 3 million barrels a day was at 800,000 barrels, the government claims. Strike leaders put the figure at 627,000.

The 48-year-old Chavez was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000 on promises to redistribute the country's vast oil wealth among the poor majority.

His opponents say his leftist policies have driven the country toward economic ruin, citing 17 percent unemployment and 30 percent inflation. They also say his autocratic style erodes democratic institutions.

The government Monday also notified private television stations Globovision and Radio Caracas Television that they faced administrative proceedings for allegedly supporting efforts to topple Chavez.

The complaint alleges the stations illegally ran opposition advertisements supporting the 50-day-old strike and promoting anti-government marches, Globovision reported.

The stations, which long have accused Chavez of trying to stifle freedom of expression, face fines or the losses of their broadcasting licenses.