Protests, Strikes Mark Venezuela Holiday

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelans heralded Christmas with protests against and in defense of President Hugo Chavez, who was fighting a strike aimed at forcing him from office.

Prayers and peace songs rose up from a throng of thousands of Chavez opponents gathered Tuesday in a Caracas highway. Carlos Ortega, the president of Venezuela's largest labor confederation, urged residents to ring in Christmas at midnight by banging pots and pans to protest Chavez.

"Usually on Christmas Eve I would be decorating the house, cooking or singing songs, but this year it is completely different," said Lourdes Lopez, 34, at a Caracas plaza that has been occupied by bands of rebel military officers for two months.

"It's as if there's no Christmas, but it's worth it," Lopez said. "The people are waking up to democracy."

Venezuela's opposition called a general strike Dec. 2 to demand Chavez accept a nonbinding referendum on his presidency in February. Chavez refused, saying Venezuela's constitution allows a possible recall vote halfway into his six-year presidency, or next August.

The opposition now wants Chavez to quit or call early presidential elections. Activists say they are fed up with the lagging economy and reforms they say concentrate power in Chavez's hands and infringe on democratic rights.

Across town at the Miraflores Presidential Palace, Chavez supporters were determined to have fun. Several men dressed as Santa Claus and activists wearing "Che" Guevara shirts handed out candy to children, who sang carols and shook maracas.

Many people greeted each other with shouts of "Feliz Chavidad" - a pro-Chavez take on "Feliz Navidad," or "Merry Christmas."

"Nobody can steal our Christmas," said Dario Vivas, a leader of Chavez's Fifth Republic Movement political party.

The strike entered its 24th day on Christmas. It has stopped Venezuela's oil exports, costing the state oil monopoly $1.3 billion so far and pushing world oil prices above $31 a barrel. Service stations closed because of a lack of gasoline to sell.

Total December exports were only 2 million barrels, but Ali Rodriguez, the president of state oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela, said operations should be back to normal in the first half of January, Dow Jones Newswires reported. The company is seeking foreign expertise and will use the strike to trim its bureaucracy, he said.

Oil company workers say it will be impossible for Chavez to fire and replace as many as 30,000 people who are striking at the company. Ninety managers were fired Tuesday, said dissident manager Juan Fernandez.

The giant Paraguana refinery complex is closed because there's no room for more oil. Venezuela has 10 million barrels in storage and can't ship it, Rodriguez said.

Oil production was down to 200,000 barrels a day - compared with 3 million barrels before the strike. Venezuela is the No. 4 oil supplier to the United States and the fifth-biggest exporter to the world.

The wholesale price of crude oil closed at $31.97 a barrel Tuesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, an increase of 22 cents a barrel.

In the city of Maracaibo, security forces tried to arrest the head of Petroleos de Venezuela's western operations, Luis Matteus, but a mob of supporters helped him escape, said lawyer Jose Alcala.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment on the 90 firings or the attempted arrest of Matteus.

The military has seized several domestic fuel tankers whose crews had anchored them offshore to support the strike. The U.S. Embassy said Tuesday a delegation from the Venezuelan merchant marine met with U.S. officials to discuss alleged human rights violations during the seizures.

The giant Paraguana refinery complex is closed because there's no room for more oil. Venezuela has 10 million barrels in storage and can't ship it, Rodriguez said.

March 2002 - Venezuela faces energy standoff at petroleum company***Chavez charged that the company's traditional autonomy made it a "state within a state," and neo-liberal managers were leading it to privatization. "This company cannot be managed as a private company," he said Tuesday. "It is a state company; it does not belong to bureaucrats or technocrats. We respect meritocracy, but there are other considerations."

Lameda and many employees fear that Chavez's philosophies run the risk of bleeding the company of the cash it needs to develop this country's rich reserves. Lameda locked horns with the Energy Ministry on numerous issues, including the new hydrocarbons law that raises royalties and mandates that PDVSA be the controlling partner in any joint venture. Critics said these rules would stifle international investment. 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.

One of the major disagreements centered on the Ministry's insistence on adhering to OPEC production cuts, but forcing PDVSA to continue producing surplus oil that has now filled every available storage facility. Although PDVSA cannot sell the oil, the catch is that it still must pay royalties for producing it to the central government, Lameda revealed after his departure. "I started warehousing" when prices were $26 per barrel, he told El Universal newspaper. "They're now $16. The barrels are worth less every day. I told the minister that I have to go out and ask for $500 million in loans while I have $300 million in the warehouse."

Energy Vice Minister Bernardo Alvarez said a new leader was brought in because "Gen. Lameda did not fulfill expectations." The confrontations with the ministry earned Lameda, whose initial appointment was greeted with skepticism, the respect and affection of employees who resented the meddling. Parra, is known for radical nationalist views on the oil industry. "He believes that the oil industry should be completely and fully controlled by the state, with no participation by private companies," said a former PDVSA top executive who requested anonymity. ***

Venezuela (Chavez) Takes Over Striking Oil Tanker***Britain asked citizens only with urgent business to remain in Venezuela, saying a gas shortage might leave food stores bare and might in turn trigger disturbances," the Foreign Office in London said. The Foreign Office said it was withdrawing families of British diplomats and nonessential embassy staff. The United States, Canada and Germany have made similar recommendations.

As the strike wore on, the resolve among some of Chavez's opponents seemed to strengthen. Already, merchants, by keeping their stores closed, have sacrificed profits during the peak Christmas buying season. "I have faith that this strike will be a success with Chavez leaving," said Fabio Valencia, a taxi driver who had a quarter tank of gasoline left. "I voted for him, and now I regret it."

Under Chavez, Venezuela's economy shrank 6 percent in the first nine months of this year, unemployment is at 17 percent and inflation at 30 percent. Tensions between rich and poor are high. Chavez, a former army paratroop commander who led an unsuccessful coup in 1992, was elected by a landslide in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, promising to help the nation's poor. His popularity has dropped to about 30 percent, according to a recent opinion poll. But in the shanty towns ringing Caracas his popularity is as high as 45 percent.***

Venezuelans spend Christmas Eve searching for gasoline and cash as strike against Chavez continues ***Chavez has fired four PDVSA executives and promised more dismissals. The president, who was democratically elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, rejects calls for an early vote, and he is not constitutionally obligated to submit to a recall referendum until August 2003, halfway through his six-year term. The National Elections Council is organizing a nonbinding referendum asking Venezuelans whether Chavez should resign. The council scheduled the vote for Feb. 2 after accepting an opposition petition signed by at least 2 million people.

Thousands of students spent the weekend before Christmas playing dominoes and card games on Caracas sidewalks as they passed the time in hours-long registration lines. "We're Venezuelan - we always leave everything to the last minute," Gerardo Sanchez, a council employee, joked as he supervised a line of people registering. The Organization of American States is mediating negotiations, but OAS Secretary-General Cesar Gaviria said Monday a solution was not close. Talks were to reconvene Thursday.***

A child waves a Venezuelan flag as he sits on his father's shoulders during a pray time held by foes of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at Christmas eve in Caracas, December 24, 2002. Thousands of Venezuelans spent Christmas Eve on Tuesday waiting in long lines outside gas stations as an opposition strike against President Hugo Chavez dampened the festive spirit and kept a chokehold on oil supplies. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

(February 27, 2001)-- Chávez's school plans ignite furor in Venezuela --A new constitution written by Chávez supporters requires all schools to teach ``Bolivarian principles'' ---- a code phrase for Chávez's brand of leftist populism ---- and the pro-Chávez majority in the legislative National Assembly is preparing a bill laying out the exact curriculum.

.......New history texts for fourth- and sixth-graders published in 1999 praised Chávez's coup attempt and branded as ``corrupt oligarchies'' the two parties that ruled Venezuela since the late 1950s, Democratic Action and COPEI. Chávez has also greatly expanded a system of paramilitary classes in public high schools that had long been on the books but were seldom held, portraying them as ``the founding stones of the new Venezuelan man.''

``He is promoting militarism, infecting texts with viruses that foster class hatreds ... and speak against globalization and privatization,'' Raffalli said in an interview. Chávez recently signed a deal with Cuba under which Havana will train Venezuelan teachers and provide educational materials, and Education Minister Hector Navarro last year approved a nationwide essay competition on the life of Argentine-born Cuban revolutionary Ernesto ``Ché'' Guevara.***

Cuban President Fidel Castro speaks during Elian Gonzalez (lower L) ninth birthday party in Cardenas, east of Havana, December 6, 2002. REUTERS/Rafael Perez

Fidel Castro - Cuba

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