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By JORGE RUEDA Associated Press Writer

January 19, 2003, 8:40 AM EST CARACAS, Venezuela -- At least 100,000 anti-government protesters staged a candlelight march in Caracas late Saturday, converging on a city highway waving national flags, flashlights and flaming torches.

Protesters cut off traffic as they demanded President Hugo Chavez's resignation and voiced support for a 7-week-old strike called by business and labor groups to force a nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule.

"We don't want this totalitarian regime that the president wants to impose," said Carolina Serrano, 25, dressed in jeans colored in the yellow, blue and red of the Venezuelan flag and shielding a candle from the evening breeze. "We're tired of so much abuse of power."

Caracas Fire Chief Rodolfo Briceno estimated that the march drew at least 100,000 people.

In Miami, about 50,000 protesters jammed into the predominantly Cuban Little Havana, calling for Chavez's ouster. Venezuelan exiles were joined by Cuban-Americans and sympathizers from other Latin American nations.

The strike is strongest in state oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., where 30,000 of 40,000 workers are off the job. Banks have restricted hours and sympathetic media broadcast pro-strike and anti-Chavez commercials around the clock.

Chavez, arriving from a visit to Brazil, promised to use the full extent of the law -- backed up by the military -- to break the strike, which began Dec. 2.

The former paratrooper, who was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, insists his foes must wait until August -- or halfway through his six-year term -- when a recall referendum is permitted by the constitution.

"We've put up with too much," Chavez said in a nationally televised speech. "I've ordered legal proceedings to begin against the banks ... and the media."

Government adversaries pledged to oppose the president peacefully and urged Venezuelans to use their vote in a nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 2, and avoid violence.

Opposition representatives at talks mediated by the Organization of American States said they would persist with negotiations despite threats by Chavez to pull out.

"If we decide to leave the table it's because those people (opposition) don't show demonstrations of wanting to take the democratic path," Chavez told the state-run Venpres news agency Saturday.

Cesar Gaviria, the OAS secretary general, began mediating the talks in November. Little progress has been made while the strike threatens to destroy Venezuela's economy.

"The president can try to leave the table with a characteristically violent gesture but we reply with civilized, democratic and peaceful behavior," Alejandro Armas, an opposition negotiator. "We are going to stay at the table."

On Friday, soldiers battled through protesters to seize food and drink from Venezuela's largest food company, Empresas Polar, and an affiliate of U.S. soft drink giant Coca-Cola to distribute among the people.

Chavez said the companies that owned the plants in the industrial city of Valencia, 66 miles west of Caracas, were denying Venezuelans food and drink during the crippling strike.

U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro said he was "concerned and disappointed" by the seizures, which affect U.S. interests in Venezuela.

"I strongly hope I'm wrong, but it looks like the officers did not act within the law," Shapiro said. "There was no (judicial) order, nor a judge" present.

The Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce and Industry denounced the actions as unconstitutional and offered support to any member companies whose rights were threatened.

Chavez was in Brazil on Saturday to speak with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about the newest initiative to end the bitter stalemate. A so-called "Group of Friends of Venezuela" is being set up with the participation of Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Chile, Portugal and Spain.

Chavez said he would seek similar meetings with presidents of the group's other member countries. Washington has indicated it believes the best way out of the crisis is through new elections. "I am not afraid of the opinions of the United States in the negotiations of the Group of Friends, because the United States is also a friend of Venezuela," Chavez said.

Venezuela is the fourth-largest supplier of oil to the United States. The Supreme Court is due to decide on the legality of the proposed Feb. 2 referendum.

Venezuela's opposition, which accuses Chavez of running the country's democratic institutions into the ground, says it will ignore any decision trying to stop the vote.

Chavez promised radical change in the oil-rich country where 80 percent of the 24 million people live in poverty. But an economic recession has brought unemployment to 17 percent, and a devaluation of the bolivar currency fueled 30 percent inflation last year.

The strike has caused severe food and fuel shortages and hobbled the oil industry, costing the nation at least $4 billion.

www.falkland-malvinas.com Mercosur Sunday, 19 January

Visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said here Saturday that he would give a vote of confidence to the "Friends of Venezuela" group being formed to mediate the crisis between his government and the opposition.

"We are endorsing the group so it can act, organize, negotiate and analyze," Chavez said after a more-than-two-hour meeting with Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Chavez made a quickly arranged visit to Brasilia to discuss with Lula, as he is universally known, the configuration and role of the group of friendly nations, which was first proposed by the Brazilian president.

Lula's initiative was approved Wednesday by a group of regional leaders in Quito and would comprise Brazil, the United States, Chile, Mexico, Spain and Portugal. Chavez, however, wants China, Russia, France, Algeria and Cuba, among others, to join the group.

The Venezuelan president said that while he liked the makeup of the group as proposed, other governments had also expressed an interest in helping find a solution to the protracted political crisis in his country.

But at yesterday’s meeting, Lula explained to Chavez that the six-nation group was sufficiently balanced to pursue a solution to Venezuela's problems, according to Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, who also attended the meeting.

"Additions (to the group) are a future consideration, and the future is in God's hands," Amorim told reporters.

Chavez said that he heads a democratic government seeking a "revolution" in his country.

When asked if that revolution could mean a loss of lives, Chavez said "many lives have already been lost in Venezuela, and the revolution will prevent the loss of more."

Chavez insisted that "some coup-mongering businessmen" had promoted "terrorism" in his country, leading the government to take over some companies considered vital.

He was referring to Friday's raid by the Venezuelan National Guard on bottling plants to seize soft drinks and beer, allegedly to distribute to the country's citizens.

The Venezuelan economy has been paralyzed since Dec. 2, due to a opposition-led general strike and the shutdown of the oil industry designed to force Chavez to resign.

Chavez said upon his arrival in Brasilia that he was willing to accept the involvement of any nation, including the United States, in the group of friends, "as long as Washington clearly understands that Venezuela has a democratic government, over which I preside."

www.oaklandtribune.com18651121938,00.html Article Last Updated: Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 4:16:11 AM MST By Jorge Rueda, Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Foes of President Hugo Chavez vowed on Saturday to step up efforts to resolve the country's crisis peacefully -- one day after troops battled through protesters to raid privately owned bottling plants.

Government adversaries urged Venezuelans to use their vote in a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule rather than respond to violence with more violence.

Opposition representatives at talks mediated by the Organization of American States said they would plow on with negotiations despite statements by Chavez that the government could leave the talks.

"The president can try to leave the table with a characteristically violent gesture but we reply with civilized, democratic and peaceful behavior," said Alejandro Armas, one of six opposition representatives at the talks. "We are going to stay at the table."

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Cesar Gaviria, the OAS secretary general, began mediating the talks in November. Little progress has been made while a 7-week-old strike called by business and labor groups to force Chavez from office threatens to destroy Venezuela's economy.

"If we decide to leave the table it's because those people (opposition) don't show demonstrations of wanting to take the democratic path," Chavez told the state-run Venpres news agency Saturday.

On Friday, soldiers seized food and drink from Venezuela's largest food company, Empresas Polar, and an affiliate of U.S. soft drink giant Coca-Cola to distribute among the people.

Chavez defended the raids in the industrial city of Valencia, 66 miles west of Caracas. He said the companies that owned the plants were denying Venezuelans food and drink during the crippling strike.

On Saturday, dozens of anti-Chavez protesters demonstrated outside a bottling plant in Valencia. One banner read, "Don't Buy Stolen Coke!" An anti-government protest by candlelight was slated to take place in the capital.

U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro said he was "concerned and disappointed" by the seizures, which affect U.S. interests in Venezuela.

"I strongly hope I'm wrong, but it looks like the officers did not act within the law," Shapiro said. "There was no (judicial) order, nor a judge" present.

The Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce and Industry denounced the actions as unconstitutional and offered support to any member companies whose rights were threatened.

Chavez was in Brazil on Saturday to speak with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about the newest initiative to end the bitter stalemate. A so-called "Group of Friends of Venezuela" is being set up with the participation of Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Chile, Portugal and Spain.

Chavez said he would seek similar meetings with presidents of the group's other member countries and added he was not worried by U.S. involvement. Washington has indicated it believes the best way out of the crisis is through new elections.

"I am not afraid of the opinions of the United States in the negotiations of the Group of Friends, because the United States is also a friend of Venezuela," Chavez said.

Venezuela is the fourth-largest supplier of oil to the United States.

Allies and adversaries of Chavez expect a forthcoming Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the proposed Feb. 2 referendum.

Venezuela's opposition says it will ignore any decision that tries to stop the referendum, while Chavez says he will not step down even if he loses by 90 percent.

Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, insists his foes must wait until August -- or halfway through his six-year term -- when a recall referendum is permitted by the constitution.

His opponents say they cannot wait that long. They accuse the former paratroop commander of running the country's democratic institutions into the ground.

Chavez promised radical change in the oil-rich country where 80 percent of the 24 million people live in poverty. But an economic recession has brought unemployment to 17 percent, and a devaluation of the bolivar currency fueled 30 percent inflation last year.

The strike has caused severe food and fuel shortages and hobbled the oil industry, costing the nation at least $4 billion.

Venezuela produced 3 million barrels a day of crude before the strike but output was at 512,000 barrels Friday, according to striking employees of the state-owned oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.

Chavez insisted his government was reviving oil production.

www.nytimes.com By TONY SMITH

RASÍLIA, Jan. 18 — President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela failed today to win backing from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil to include Russia, France and other "friendly" nations in a United States-sponsored mediation effort to restore peace to Venezuela.

Mr. Chávez, who is facing growing demands from opponents at home to resign as Venezuela's economy buckles under a seven-week-long strike, said here today that he was "grateful for the good faith and will to help" shown by other nations. But he insisted that the mediation group formed by the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Chile be broadened. Advertisement

"We see this group as a preconfiguration," he said on arrival at a military base here for talks with his major regional ally.

But after two hours of talks with Mr. da Silva, he told reporters that he had "agreed to give my vote of confidence to the group so it can function properly and contribute toward a solution." He said the group could be broadened at a later date.

The Brazilian foreign minister, Celso Amorim, said the Brazilians had emphasized to Mr. Chávez that "the balance found in the group is a delicate balance" that "represents various points of view."

"He probably still has his personal doubts," Mr. Amorim said, but adding, "I think he understood."

Mr. Chávez said earlier that Russia had shown interest in joining the group and that Venezuela had approached France. He also said Fidel Castro of Cuba and Prime Minister Percival J. Patterson of Jamaica should not be left out.

A State Department official said on Friday that the United States and other nations involved in the initiative were satisfied that the mediation group had already been formed.

Using his usual fiery rhetoric, Mr. Chávez said he believed that Brazil and other countries "will not simply align themselves with any old position" proposed by the United States. "What's at stake in Venezuela is the construction of an alternative to neo-liberalism," he said. Neo-liberalism is the term he and other leftist leaders use to describe a gamut of United States-inspired free-market policies that many contend have failed to deliver economic growth with social justice in the developing world.

www.knoxnews.com By JORGE RUEDA, Associated Press January 19, 2003

CARACAS, Venezuela - Foes of President Hugo Chavez vowed on Saturday to step up efforts to resolve the country's crisis peacefully - one day after troops battled through protesters to raid privately owned bottling plants.

Government adversaries urged Venezuelans to use their vote in a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule rather than respond to violence with more violence.

Opposition representatives at talks mediated by the Organization of American States said they would plow on with negotiations despite statements by Chavez that the government could leave the talks.

Cesar Gaviria, the OAS secretary general, began mediating the talks in November. Little progress has been made while a 7-week-old strike called by business and labor groups to force Chavez from office threatens to destroy Venezuela's economy.

"If we decide to leave the table it's because those people (opposition) don't show demonstrations of wanting to take the democratic path," Chavez told the state-run Venpres news agency Saturday.

On Friday, soldiers seized food and drink from Venezuela's largest food company, Empresas Polar, and an affiliate of U.S. soft drink giant Coca-Cola to distribute among the people.

Chavez defended the raids in the industrial city of Valencia, 66 miles west of Caracas. He said the companies that owned the plants were denying Venezuelans food and drink during the crippling strike.

On Saturday, dozens of anti-Chavez protesters demonstrated outside a bottling plant in Valencia. An anti-government protest was slated to take place in the capital.

U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro said he was "concerned and disappointed" by the seizures.

The Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce and Industry denounced the actions as unconstitutional and offered support to any member companies whose rights were threatened.

Chavez was in Brazil on Saturday to speak with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about the newest initiative to end the bitter stalemate. A so-called "Group of Friends of Venezuela" is being set up with the participation of Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Chile, Portugal and Spain.

Chavez said he would seek similar meetings with presidents of the group's other member countries and added he was not worried by U.S. involvement. Washington has indicated it believes the best way out of the crisis is through new elections.