BODY: The US State Department on Tuesday said it had authorized non-essential American personnel and diplomats' families to come home from Venezuela and warned Americans not to travel there due to a deepening political crisis.
In a travel warning, the department "authorized the voluntary departure of eligible family members and non-emergency personnel of the US Embassy in Venezuela due to the deteriorating political and security situation and the severe shortages of fuel and food supplies."
"US citizens are warned to defer all travel to Venezuela at this time, and those already in Venezuela are urged to consider departing," the warning said. Leaving Venezuela could be a problem however, as employees have grounded the country's main airline Aeropostal Tuesday and international carriers are struggling as a general strike hits oil production and distribution.
Lines formed outside banks and gas stations ran out of fuel as the strike tightened its grip and opposition leaders renewed their demand for the resignation of President Hugo Chavez.
The United States, top importer of Venezuelan oil has watched with alarm in recent days and called for early elections to end the crisis.
"The government of Venezuela must act to prevent further erosion of fundamental democratic freedoms and the essential elements of democracy, as prescribed by the Inter-American Democratic Charter," said State Department spokesman Philip Reeker earlier Tuesday.
He reiterated US support for an Organisation of American States (OAS) bid to mediate the crisis.
"OAS-led dialogue we believe remains the best forum in which to reach a peaceful, democratic, constitutional and electoral resolution.
"We hope that through dialogue the government and opposition can reach consensus on an electoral path that will move Venezuela beyond its current crisis."
In April, a three-day general strike of labor unions and a business federation was followed by a coup that removed Chavez from power for two days.
The United States came under fierce international criticism for not immediately condemning the move against Chavez, an elected leftist-populist to whom Washington is not close.
Reeker also condemned demonstrations by opponents and supporters of Chavez who have attacked media outlets during a general strike gripping the country.
"We remain very concerned about the coordinated efforts of government supporters to intimidate media outlets that took place last night in Venezuela," said Reeker.
"We are also disturbed by reports of efforts by opposition supporters to intimidate the state-run media."
Late Monday, opponents of Chavez fired shots at the building occupied by a government-run television in Caracas.
At the same time, Chavez supporters staged noisy rallies outside the offices of private television channels seen as opposing the leftist-populist president. -- Yoshie
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