Saturday 15 March 2003
Costa Rica grants asylum to Venezuelan strike leader
CARACAS, Venezuela - A leader of a failed
two-month strike to oust President Hugo Chavez received diplomatic asylum from
the Costa Rican embassy on Friday, escaping charges of treason and rebellion.
Labor union leader Carlos Ortega entered the embassy earlier Friday, Costa
Rican Ambassador Ricardo Lizano said. Costa Rica has granted Ortega diplomatic
asylum, allowing Ortega to stay in the mission, Lizano said.
The Central American country is evaluating whether to grant territorial
asylum, which would allow Ortega to live in Costa Rica, the ambassador told
reporters. He said the decision could take up to two days.
A statement from the Costa Rican foreign ministry said the Central American
country granted Ortega asylum "for humanitarian reasons." Ortega cited
fear for his personal safety in his asylum request, the statement said.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Lucas Rincon said Venezuela would grant safe
conduct to Ortega if he gets territorial asylum.
In an interview with state television Venezolana de Television, Chavez did
not comment on Costa Rica's decision. But he said Ortega's asylum request
"demonstrated the criminal character" of the strike leaders.
"They are sabotagers and terrorists who greatly harmed the
country," Chavez said.
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel issued a statement that did not criticize
Costa Rica's decision but recalled the economic damage done to Venezuela during
the general strike to demand early elections or Chavez's resignation.
The strike, which petered out last month, paralyzed Venezuela's lifeblood oil
industry and cost the country US$6 billion, according to government estimates.
"Everyone is free to make the decision they consider most
appropriate," Rangel said.
Ortega had been in hiding since Feb. 20, after a judge issued a warrant for
his arrest for treason, rebellion and incitement.
Hundreds of flag-waving supporters gathered around the Costa Rican embassy in
eastern Caracas chanting, "Ortega, friend, the people are with you!"
Ortega is the president of the 1-million member Venezuelan Workers
Confederation.
Last month, authorities arrested strike leader Carlos Fernandez, president of
Venezuela's largest business association. He is under house arrest pending trial
on charges of rebellion and instigation. A judge struck down a treason charge.
Arrests warrants also are out for seven executives of the state-oil monopoly,
Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. The seven are in hiding.
Secret police stormed an opposition march Saturday in an attempt to arrest
oil executive Juan Fernandez, who made a surprise brief appearance. The police
clashed with protesters, and Fernandez escaped.
Opposition leaders have denounced the arrest warrants as political
persecution. Chavez says strike leaders must be imprisoned for at least 20 years
for inflicting suffering on the population.
Ortega is the third Chavez opponent to seek asylum abroad.
Last year, Colombia granted asylum to business leader Pedro Carmona, the
figurehead in an April coup that ousted Chavez for two days. El Salvador granted
asylum to another alleged coup leader, Vice Admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo.
Chavez opponents accuse him of steering Venezuela's economy into recession
with leftist policies. They also say he has accumulated too much power under the
guise of a "social revolution" to help the poor.
Chavez says his foes resent his efforts to end social inequality and his
success in wresting power from two corrupt traditional parties that ruled
Venezuela for 40 years until his 1998 election.
Chavez fired 15,000 workers from the oil monopoly — almost half the work
force — for participating in the stoppage. He has threatened to close down
four private television stations that gave supportive coverage to the strike.
Venezuela's oil industry — the source of half of government income and 80
percent of export revenue — is recovering from the strike. Oil production has
reached 2.9 million barrels a day, according to the government. Fired PDVSA
executives say it's only 2.1 million barrels a day, about two-thirds of what it
was before the strike.
Venezuela was the world's fifth-largest oil exporter before the strike.
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