Posted on 04/11/2002 2:34:47 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Labor and business foes of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on Wednesday for a two-day-old general strike to last indefinitely, launching the most determined challenge so far to his three-year-old rule.
In a calm but conciliatory response, Chavez's left-wing government criticized the move as an irresponsible "leap in the dark," and predicted it would fail. But it ruled out emergency measures and offered dialogue to its opponents.
The general strike in the world's No. 4 oil exporter was declared after thousands of anti-Chavez demonstrators, braving persistent rain, clamored in the streets for a second day, calling on the president to step down.
Adding his voice to the protests, an army general appeared on local television and denounced Chavez as a lying traitor, telling him to resign. The call echoed similar demands earlier this year from other active military officers.
"We have agreed on an indefinite general strike," Carlos Ortega, head of the CTV (Venezuela Workers' Confederation), the country's largest union group, told a news conference.
Ortega cited what he called Chavez' "provocative attitude" and lack of response to labor demands and other disputes, such as a six-week-old internal revolt in the state oil company PDVSA which has severely disrupted oil output and shipments.
Giving the government's response in a broadcast to the nation, Defense Minister Jose Vicente Rangel said there were no plans to declare emergency measures to counter the strike.
"We are not experiencing an emergency," he said.
"President Chavez is open to dialogue and we want to resolve the nation's problems through dialogue," he added.
Leading business association Fedecamaras, which had backed the initial two-day stoppage that shut shops and companies across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday, said it would join the indefinite strike, the first of its kind called against the populist president.
UNUSUAL ALLIANCE
CTV and Fedecamaras said they would hold a joint anti-government march through Caracas Thursday.
This unusual alliance of workers and bosses has spearheaded mounting domestic opposition against Chavez, whose critics accuse him of trying to install a Cuban-style left-wing authoritarian regime in Venezuela.
Chavez, a tough-talking former paratrooper, has dismissed his opponents as "corrupt oligarchs and petty politicians."
Following the general strike call, it seemed unlikely Chavez would attend a summit meeting of the Rio Group of Latin American presidents, scheduled for Thursday in Costa Rica.
While anti-Chavez protesters chanting "general strike" and "Not one step backward" staged two big demonstrations in Caracas on Wednesday, scattered clashes were reported in the capital and some other parts of the country between followers and foes of the president.
In a surprise appearance on national television, army Gen. Nestor Gonzalez made a blistering attack against Chavez, accusing him of dividing the nation with his policies and of showing disrespect to the armed forces.
"We are a worthy country which deserves someone better than you ... Mr. President, go," Gonzalez said.
The call follows criticism from a group of military officers in February who called on Chavez to resign. The president played down the criticism at the time, insisting he had the military's support.
Another officer, National Guard Gen. Rafael Damiani, also appeared on television to appeal to the military high command not to use force against opposition protesters.
In his broadcast, Rangel said the criticism by Gonzalez and the other officers did not signify splits in the country's armed forces, which he said were fully behind the government.
"There will be no coup against Chavez, Chavez will not be toppled," he said.
CUBA TIES CRITICIZED
Wearing his beige military uniform, Gonzalez accused the president of lying to the country by repeatedly denying Colombian leftist guerrillas had penetrated across the border into Venezuelan territory.
"He's more interested in his relation with (Cuban President) Fidel Castro (news - web sites) and communism," Gonzalez said, adding the Venezuelan government had clear evidence Colombian rebels were infiltrating across the border.
A Colombian army general said last month Marxist FARC rebels had attacked his forces from a base in Venezuela.
For the second consecutive day Wednesday, the streets of Caracas, normally one of Latin America's most bustling capitals, had reduced levels of vehicles and pedestrians, although there was a clear pick-up in activity from Tuesday.
Many shops and companies stayed shut and PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela) executives and employees maintained their protests against management changes made by Chavez.
Vice President Diosdado Cabello dismissed Bustillos' comments, saying reports of orders to repress the protesters were "lies." Defense Minister Jose Vicente Rangel declined to comment.
Guard troops took positions around the building in eastern Caracas on Tuesday to protect it.
"The president of the republic ordered the National Guard to use force to remove people in front of (the building)," Bustillos told Associated Press Television News.
He urged officers not to obey "a presidential lunacy that is going to (ruin) the name of the armed forces, especially the National Guard." He also appealed for calm, both from the opposition and the government.
Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin said earlier Wednesday the government would take any action "under the law" to preserve order.****
I'll give your thread a mega ping...
EX-president of Venezuelan state oil company accuses government of eroding morale ***Other bones of contention were the central government's demand that the company hand over $4.4 billion in dividends last year, forcing PDVSA to borrow $500 million to pay the bill; and the oil sales to Cuba, whose leader, Fidel Castro, is Chavez's longtime mentor. · Chavez has insisted that oil sales continue to Cuba, despite an unpaid $97 million bill for past sales. ***
It beats the alternative, to which Venezuelans are fairly opened minded to just about now.
By word of mouth, I've heard that Chavez has been busy insulating himself from personal attack. Bodyguards, personalized fortifications, security and accompanying routines. I guess he's learned from his mentor, Fidel.
Just the same, I hope Chavez meets an appropriate end at the hands of the people he is attempting to enslave.
Correct indeed.
Chavez is another opportunistic thug who wishes he could become a multi-billionaire like his role model Fisel Castro (according to several financial publications) with vast numbers of mansions, mistresses, limos, and all the other trappings of vast wealth. The key is a studious faux populism, propaganda through control of the mass media, brutal military oppression, and neighborhood "Committees for the Defense of the Revolution" to dispense ration coupons and population control on a micromanaging level. It also helps to have similarly minded American liberals and their vermin media on your side.
Come to think about it, this is all reminiscent of how corrupt liberal scum like Terry McAuliffre and the two Clintons became multi-millionaires over the last 8 years. Such sociopaths do not give up power easily.
BIG BUMP!!!
From ft.com via news.google.com:
Speculation mounted in the afternoon that Mr Chávez, who cancelled a scheduled visit to Costa Rica, was close to decreeing a state of emergency or a suspension of constitutional liberties. Business and union leaders jointly announced the indefinite strike, arguing that the government had failed to present solutions to the economic crisis, particularly the situation at the state oil company.
There were also signals that the armed forces may have pressed for Mr Chávez to resign. Brigadier-general Nestor González, the highest ranking officer in the army to criticise the president publicly, said Mr Chávez was the cause of the escalating political crisis.
Officially we've said they should do this democratically.
But officially we've also said we're concerned Chavez doesn't understand what democratic is.
So I'm wondering too.
To the Chavez watcher, Chavez has been pushing the opposition to the edge, while at the same time strenghening his powers, placing his marxist friends and allies in military and political slots and inciting the Bolivarian Chavistas to attack any opposition protests. I believe he has every intention of taking total control. Does he have all his commie ducks in a row? I don't know.
Chavez understands what democratic is. What he doesn't understand yet is how to get rid of democracy, like his incredibly wealthy role model, Fidel,
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