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Chavez tries to steady the ship as strike peters out
(Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, February 7, 2003)
Businesses, factories and restaurants closed for weeks by the general strike in Venezuela have been reopening in a tacit admission by the opposition that the attempt to force President Hugo Chavez from power has failed, at least for the time being. . . . President Chavez proclaimed a victory in the dispute at a rally earlier this week. "The coup-mongering, fascist opposition had their turn with the bat and they've struck out three times," he said. "Now it's our turn to bat." . . . While the opposition is resigned to the fact that the main purpose of the strike has failed, the issue is now the nature and timing of the referendum on Mr Chavez's rule, as allowed by the constitution. . . . If he were to lose, he would be obliged to step down. . . . "A key factor will be whether Chavez will be able to resist gloating," he said. "Unquestionably, Chavez has been irritating, insulting, infuriating and confrontational, but arguably, he has adhered to democratic ground rules at least as faithfully as those opposed to his rule." . . . One of the key unresolved issues is the fate of the oil workers sacked during the strike. Out of a total staff of 33,000, most of whom went on strike, 5,300 have been sacked, including 700 executives. . . . Mr Chavez has said they should not be reinstated. The opposition is equally insistent that they should not lose their jobs.

posted by LoZo 1:33 PM