Da: A: "Labour Left Opposition" ; "Forum on Labor in the Global Economy" ; "act-cuts-ont-l" Oggetto: VENEZUELA CRISIS Data: mercoledě 28 novembre 2001 7.22 Venezuelan Opposition Between Dialogue and Confrontation by Javier Rodríguez CARACAS, 23 of November (PL) In the next few hours the Venezuelan opposition must choose between participating in the national dialogue sponsored by the government or confrontation. After members of the traditional Democratic Action Party (AD) and sympathizers of the process of change led by the President of the Republic, Hugo Chávez, collided in the center of this capital, the dilemma of those who oppose the Chief of State became more evident. In meeting with numerous businessmen, a short time before the disturbances, President Chavez appointed José Vicente Rangel Minister of Defense to coordinate extensive negotiations with all of the nation's political factions, with the objective of reaching a criteria through wide ranging opinions regarding the immediate future of the country. The government, vested by the legislative powers granted by Parliament, placed upon the negotiating table its willingness to discuss, with all the social and economic players, the implementation of a package of laws recently approved by the Council of Ministers. Among those resolutions, stands out the law of Lands and Agrarian Development, whose objective is a rational redistribution of the lands, as well as that of Hydrocarbons, liquidation of the latifundia and reserves majority ownership for the State of the strategic associations that enter into partnership with foreign or national capital. Equally well fought by the large industrialists is the Fishing Law which reserves, for thousands of fishermen grouped in cooperatives, the possibility of working within six miles to the coast . The violent opposition to the measures by large estate owners, cattle raisers and large businessmen, represented by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce (Fedecámaras), prompted them to call for a national business stoppage on December 10. The quick endorsement to the stoppage by the opposition political parties and the disputed and self proclaimed leadership of the Confederation of Workers of Venezuela (CTV), are seen by many to have an intentional destabilizing effect on the government. This opinion was seen to be validated by a wide campaign in favor of a strike by the majority of the mass media, whose owners oppose the government, and with the announcement yesterday of the beginning of a series of marches and street demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Chávez. Also, CTV officials said that the union would conduct acts of civil disobedience if, as expected soon, the National Electoral Council or the Supreme Court decrees the illegality of the union's election due to irregularities and fraud. In the meantime, Rangel presided the first meeting with business circles that responded to a call for dialogue and reaffirmed his decision to reach out to the remaining circles to collectively find solutions to the present situation. In this way, as in a sport event, the ball was placed with the opposition, which must now make the next play. ----------------------------------- IV CONGRESO ANFICTIONICO BOLIVARIANO DE AMERICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE, Buenos Aires, Argentina, del 22 al 25 de Noviembre de 2001 The Revolution will not be televised: News at 11... grok Independent canadian marxist The U.S. ruling class: A godzilla monster that stalks the world, devouring everything. (apologies to Godzilla and friends)