Chavez and the Strike Leaders Are Opposed to Each Other at the Limit

While the Venezuelan General Strike asking early resignation of the President Hugo Chavez has continued for 20 days, the President took part in recapture operation of an oil tanker by the Navy on the 21st and formed a special military unit, so the crisis of a vigorous subjugation is getting higher.

The President Chavez dispatched the Navy on the 21st and recaptured an oil tanker for local distribution, Philinleon, and then he himself got on board and commanded a voyage to supply oils to major local oil reservoirs with convoy of 2 battle ships. And the Defense Minister Jose Louis Prieto said, “The Government formed a special unit assuming cessation of strike operation,” and warned, “Any resisting workers will be punished.”

However, the strike leaders who led street demonstrations with hundreds of thousands of people in major areas of the country including the Capitol Karakas said on the 21st, “We will continue fighting until Chavez resigns.”

The Venezuela state operated PDVSA Board of Directors was also insubordinate the order of the Supreme Court to return to work places and decided to continue the strike.

In the meantime, the US Government ordered on the 20th that the employs of Embassy, excluding core members, and their family to evacuate Venezuela because of personal safety.

The President Chavez, who was reelected with an absolute support of the poor at the 2000 Presidential Election, is facing wide resistance of the middle class due to failure of economy policies and deepening of confrontation of social classes.

Since there rises worries for civil war because of the fourth general strike since last December, America persuades solving the situation through the early Presidential Election and General Election; however, the President Chavez refuses it.

Due to this strike, the world`s fifth biggest oil producing country Venezuela`s oil exportation is being severely damaged, and there is extreme oil problem inside the country like 80% of gas stations in Karakas are closed.