RIO DE JANEIRO - The Brazilian oil workers will reject an invitation to replace Venezuelans that are on strike, warned the directory of the Union of Unified Oil Workers of Sao Paulo, Antonio Carlos Spis.
"The Brazilian oil worker is not a strike breaker. We are known for our pugnacious actions and if we honor Brazilian picket lines, why would we not do the same in other countries?" Said Spis, who is also the president of the Unified Center of Workers (CUT) in the state of Sao Paolo, in press articles published today.
The union leader made this warning two days after the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez met with Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva and asked him to send technical support workers from Petrobas, the Brazilian oil company, in order to overcome the Venezuelan strike...
Supporters of President Hugo Chavez planned a street march on Saturday after the leader said he would consider imposing martial law to quell Venezuela's internal crisis and put the brakes on escalating political violence.
Presidential supporters said they would march "to defend" state-run oil company PDVSA against a five-week strike that has paralyzed the oil industry and forced the government to import gasoline.
Gunfire erupted Friday during an opposition march on the headquarters of the armed forces, Caracas Fire Chief Rodolfo Briceno said. Two people died of gunshot wounds and at least 78 others were injured five of them by gunshots.
It was unclear who fired on the demonstrators, who were met by hundreds of Chavez supporters throwing rocks and bottles at security forces trying to keep the two sides apart.
"I am obligated to protect the people. I am obligated to protect public order," Chavez said. "If they force me to (decree martial law), I'd have to do it."
But, he added, "So far, despite everything that has happened, there has been no need to apply any exceptional measures."
Chavez made his comments after meeting with Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States, who is trying to negotiate a settlement between the government and the opposition.
Daily street protests by Chavez opponents and supporters have been common since the opposition declared a general strike Dec. 2 in an attempt to oust the left-leaning Chavez.
Friday's anti-Chavez march deteriorated into a melee after the national guard fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a few hundred Chavez supporters, who were throwing rocks at security forces while waiting for marchers to arrive at a park near the military base entrance.
When marchers arrived and moved toward a security line, guardsmen fired more tear gas into the crowd. Shots then rang out.
The protest lasted several hours in the park, under a veil of tear gas, before marchers dispersed.
Opposition marcher Maria Arismendy crouched behind an ambulance, pouring water over the face of her small, howling dog.
"We're peaceful, but you see what they do," Arismendy said through her own tears. "We just want our country back. Chavez has ruined everything."
The injured included seven police officers, Police Chief Henry Vivas said. Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez said 11 people were hurt in a stampede.
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel on Friday blamed "irresponsible" march leaders for trying to enter the park, which the government has declared a security zone one of eight such zones in Caracas.
"They tried to break through a security barrier and that produced the clashes with security forces," Rangel told The Associated Press.
The last time people were killed during a political demonstration was Dec. 6, when three people were gunned down at an opposition rally. Dozens were killed in April rioting during a short-lived coup that briefly ousted Chavez. With support from loyalists in the military, Chavez regained power after two days.
"The force of law is going to be imposed here," Chavez said Friday.
Opposition leader Hermann Escarra warned, in comments broadcast on Globovision television, that Venezuelans would hold Chavez responsible if martial law was declared and civil rights were violated.
The marchers demanded the release of Gen. Carlos Alfonso Martinez, one of about 100 officers who revolted last fall. Martinez was arrested Dec. 30 without a required court order and remains under house arrest even though a judge ordered his release.
The opposition accuses Chavez of causing a deep recession here unemployment has reached 17 percent and inflation 30 percent under his rule. The opposition also charges Chavez with trying to impose a leftist, authoritarian government.
Chavez insists the opposition, which he calls the oligarchy, is trying to sabotage the economy to force him from power.
Chavez has agreed to a binding referendum on his presidency in August, halfway through his six-year term, which he says is the only way to test his support constitutionally.
The opposition wants a nonbinding referendum next month.
"We will resist until the end, until we achieve the objective of getting rid of Chavez and his authoritarian regime," said Carlos Ortega, president of the nation's largest trade union.
The strike has paralyzed oil production in Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and a top supplier to the United States. The strike helped push international oil prices above $30 per barrel and oil workers have defied a back-to-work order by the Supreme Court.
Since the strike began, Chavez has been forced to import food and fuel.
Ali Rodriguez, president of the state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., told the state news agency Venpres the government has purchased 250,000 barrels of gasoline from a U.S. firm and 600,000 more barrels from Russia.
Venezuela also has received gasoline shipments from Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago.
The government is trying to negotiate long-term import deals with those countries as well as Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico to meet domestic demand of 400,000 barrels a day.
As part of his effort to break the strike, Mr. Chávez has had talks with officials from Algeria about the possibility of importing oil workers, and is reportedly exploring similar options with India and the Philippines.
He said today that he expected a team of Algerians to arrive soon. He described them as "tanker crews, some experts in energy matters, refining, production, and especially systems analysts."
I'm amazed by the stand taken by the Brazilians-but I'm sure not nearly as amazed as Lula and Chavez were.
Chavez exposes how Marxists think of the workers. They think of them as slaves.
Marxism is slavery.