www.suntimes.com February 4, 2003 BY ALEXANDRA OLSON

CARACAS, Venezuela--Workers in all sectors but the vital oil industry returned to their jobs Monday--abandoning a two-month general strike that devastated Venezuela's economy but failed to oust President Hugo Chavez.

As life began returning to normal in stores, factories and banks, the government made gains toward restoring oil production to pre-strike levels in a nation that is a major supplier of crude to the United States and the world's fifth-largest petroleum exporter.

The fear of bankruptcy and shortages of gasoline and other essentials prompted leaders to end the strike, which began Dec. 2, said Albis Munoz, vice president of the country's biggest business chamber, Fedecamaras.

Chavez, elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, vows to defeat his opponents in the streets and at the ballot box.

Venezuela's opposition still hopes to generate international pressure for new elections.

The United States, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain and Portugal joined the Organization of American States in mediating 3-month-old talks. Over Chavez's objections, they endorsed an early election.

Seeking to capitalize on the strike's momentum, the opposition organized a massive signature drive Sunday for early elections--the strike's original goal. Organizers claimed 4 million people signed the petitions, a claim that could not be verified.

Strike leaders are a mix of conservatives, leftists, business associations, labor unions and civic groups.

The strike reflected ''the disorganization of the opposition,'' said Riordan Roett, professor at Johns Hopkins University.

''It was anti-Chavez but never pro-anything. What were they going to replace Chavez with?''

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 3:46:23 AM By: Robert Rudnicki

Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel has restated the government's position on an electoral solution to Venezuela's political crisis, urging the opposition to wait for a revocatory referendum after August 19, the half way point in President Hugo Chavez Frias' term in office and the earliest possible date permitted by the current Constitution.

Government negotiators in the Organization of American States (OAS) led peace talks at the Hotel Melia Caracas have presented this proposal to opposition negotiators, and Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) secretary general Manuel Cova saying the opposition will respond to the proposal during Wednesday's session, however pointing out that the government has so far failed to respond to the opposition's proposal for a constitutional amendment that would shorten the President's term in office and allow an earlier referendum. 

The government's and the opposition's proposals are the two possible solutions that were put forward by former US President Jimmy Carter, but its seems unlikely at this stage that either side will agree to the other's choice. The government has previously indicated that should the opposition want an amendment then it would have to jump through the constitutionally required hoops to get one, without counting on the government's assistance.

www.abs-cbnnews.com

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's government on Monday rejected a proposal to cut short the rule of President Hugo Chavez and delivered a fresh blow to the opposition campaign for early elections in the world's No. 5 oil exporter.

Opposition leaders, who said they collected about four million signatures petitioning for a constitutional amendment to shorten Chavez's term, accused the government of stalling talks to end the bitter dispute over his rule.

Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said the government dismissed the opposition initiative and proposed instead a binding referendum after August on the president's rule.

"We're proposing what we always have: referendum after Aug. 19 as laid down in the constitution," Rangel told reporters.

The amendment campaign marked a shift in strategy for opponents of Chavez after they scaled back a two-month strike that battered Venezuela's economy but failed to unseat him. State oil workers at the heart of the strike have vowed to keep up their stoppage to press for a vote.

The fresh row signaled more political wrangling between the government and opposition, who have been locked in a standoff since April when Chavez survived a short-lived military coup.

Both the constitutional amendment and a binding Aug. 19 referendum were put forward as options by former U.S. president and Nobel Peace prize winner Jimmy Carter, who is part of international efforts to broker an electoral deal.

In a statement Rangel said the government could not set a date for a referendum and also rejected Carter's proposal urging no reprisals for striking oil workers. Chavez has fired more than 5,000 oil employees, accusing them of sabotage, and refused an amnesty.

"This response takes us further away from the Carter proposal, especially about any election date. The government just isn't interested," anti-Chavez union boss and opposition negotiator Manuel Cova told Reuters.

A six-nation initiative led by the United States and Brazil has also lent its weight to the talks led by the Organization of American States to hammer out an agreement on elections.

The opposition strike, started on Dec. 2, triggered a fiscal crisis, forcing the Chavez government to slash its budget and prepare exchange rate controls to shore up its oil-reliant economy.

Faced with bankruptcy, many businesses buckled and reopened even before the strikers decided to ease off the shutdown. Private banks resumed normal operating hours on Monday and shopping centers, universities and franchises are due to reopen later this week.

Please send your comments or feedback to newsfeedback@abs-cbn.com

boston.com By Alexandra Olson, Associated Press, 2/4/2003 01:46

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) A two-month strike designed to force President Hugo Chavez's ouster crumbled as workers in all sectors except the oil industry returned to their jobs.

Stores, factories, schools and banks started opening their doors as the government raised oil production to 1.2 million barrels a day, up from 1.1 million a day over the weekend, according to dissident staff at the state oil company.

The gains brought production closer to pre-strike levels of 3.2 million barrels a day in a nation that is a major supplier of crude to the United States and the world's fifth-largest petroleum exporter.

Oil production was still only about one-third or normal production as the strike frayed Monday, but Venezuela is expected to add 200,000 more barrels per day in the coming weeks, staff at Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. said.

Fear of bankruptcy and shortages of gasoline and other essentials prompted leaders to end the strike, which began Dec. 2. Still, strike leaders called their work stoppage a success, claiming it unified the country's diverse opposition a mix of conservatives, leftists, business and civil groups and labor unions.

On Sunday, a nationwide petition drive collected signatures supporting a proposal to amend the constitution, cut Chavez's term to four years from six and pave the way for early elections.

Organizers said 4 million people signed the petitions, a claim that could not be verified. The petitions called for a binding referendum on Chavez's rule in August and an all-powerful constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution.

Government adversaries were unsure how and when the petition drive could bring results.

''We may have to wait until August, but then again it could be another year,'' said Leonardo Aparo, a 30-year-old store manager.

The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Chavez-dominated Congress must appoint a new National Elections Council. Without a council, no one can verify the signatures or organize a vote.

Julio Brazon, president of the Consecomercio business chamber, which represents about 450,000 businesses, said the strike was a ''resounding success'' because ''an electoral solution to the crisis is in march.''

Analysts disagreed.

The strike reflected ''the disorganization of the opposition,'' said Riordan Roett, director of Western Hemisphere studies at Johns Hopkins University. ''It was anti-Chavez but never pro-anything. What were they going to replace Chavez with?''

The United States and five other countries have joined the Organization of American States in mediating 3-month-old negotiations.

After meetings here last week, diplomats from the six nations said early elections were the best way to restore stability in the increasingly volatile South American nation.

Little progress has been made since the talks began under OAS chief Cesar Gaviria in November.

Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, claims his ''revolutionary'' government would crush the opposition at the ballot box.

As the conflict between entrenched political rivals drags on, the specter of more economic problems made worse by the strike looms on the horizon.

According to the Fedeindustria business chamber, strike fallout and continuing recession will cost 200,000 jobs and close more than 20,000 small- and medium-sized businesses by August.

Lack of oil and tax income forced Chavez to cut 10 percent from Venezuela's $25 billion budget for 2003. Economists forecast the economy will shrink 25 percent this year after an 8 percent contraction in 2002.

www.timesdispatch.com THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Feb 04, 2003

CARACAS, Venezuela - Workers in all sectors but the oil industry returned to their jobs yesterday. They abandoned a two-month general strike that devastated Venezuela's economy but failed to oust President Hugo Chavez.

As life began returning to normal in stores, factories and banks, the government made gains toward restoring oil production to pre-strike levels. The nation is a major supplier of crude to the United States and is the world's fifth-largest petroleum exporter.

The fear of bankruptcy and shortages of gasoline and other essentials prompted leaders to end the strike, which began Dec. 2, said Albis Munoz, vice president of the country's biggest business chamber, Fedecamaras.

Chavez, elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, vows to defeat his opponents in the streets and at the ballot box. He said Sunday that he will prosecute strike leaders for sabotaging the economy.

Venezuela's opposition still hopes to generate pressure for new elections.

The United States, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain and Portugal joined the Organization of American States in mediating 3-month-old talks. Over Chavez's objections, they endorsed an early election.

Seeking to capitalize on the strike's momentum, the opposition organized a signature drive Sunday for early elections, the strike's original goal. Organizers said 4 million people signed petitions; the claim could not be verified.

Strike leaders are a mix of conservatives, leftists, business associations, labor unions and civic groups. Their petitions reflected their various agendas.

One called for a constitutional amendment declaring Chavez's term over. Another would cut his term from six years to four, allowing early elections. A third would create a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution.

Yet another option: a binding referendum halfway into Chavez's term, or in August, as permitted by the constitution. That idea was supported recently by former President Jimmy Carter.

Chavez says he prefers the August option - a referendum he could win because the opposition has yet to present an alternative to his populist "revolution" for the poor.

The strike reflected "disorganization of the opposition," said Riordan Roett, director of Western Hemisphere studies at Johns Hopkins University. "It was anti-Chavez but never pro-anything. What were they going to replace Chavez with?"

The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Chavez-dominated Congress must appoint a new board of directors for the National Elections Council. Without a council, no one can verify the signatures collected Sunday.

According to the Fedeindustria business chamber, the fallout from the strike and ongoing recession will cost 200,000 jobs and close more than 20,000 small and medium-size businesses by August.