Caracas, Venezuela -- At first glance, the general strike in Venezuela stands Marx on his head. On December 2, the powerful Confederation of Workers (CTV) and the business organization Fedecámaras stopped work, calling for either the ouster of "revolutionary" President Hugo Chávez or immediate new presidential elections.
By December 6, merchant marine captains had also stopped work, choking Venezuela's oil exports, the lifeline of the economy, by anchoring 13 oil tankers at sea (they were joined by two dozen more in the following days). The Association of Pilots closed down Aserca, one of Venezuela's two major airlines. And while Fedepetrol, the oil workers union, opposed the strike, the managerial ranks at the state oil company, attempted to paralyze operations. As Venezuelan oil production plunged by 70 percent, international prices surpassed $28 a barrel, OPEC's proposed maximum price.
As the conflict entered its second week, the general strike ceased to be the key issue. A small number of strategically located employees had transformed the conflict into a fight for control of the economy, particularly oil and gas production. Congressman Rafael Simón Jiménez, an independent, puts it this way: "This strike is no longer 'democratic,' in the sense that it no longer matters whether a majority of workers support it."...
On December 7, at a rally estimated by pro-government sources to be in the hundreds of thousands, Chávez called on his followers to maintain an ongoing presence on the streets. "The hour has arrived to wage the great battle for oil," he said. "Oil belongs to the entire nation, not just an elite."
Chávez then decreed an emergency reorganization of the industry, firing four top executives who had engineered the stoppage and arresting several of the striking oil tanker captains.
Venezuelans's reaction to the strike has been largely determined by class-much as Marx would have predicted. While downtown and poorer neighborhoods have quickly returned to normality, affluent areas of major cities avidly support the strike, banging pots and pans every day after 8 p.m.
On December 10, the opposition called for the conflict's transformation into an "active strike," meaning street mobilizations. Shortly thereafter, the entrances of oil refineries were the unlikely scenes of middle-class protesters obstructing the arrival of workers, in some cases calling them "strikebreakers." The slogans of anti-government protesters have been directed exclusively at Chávez, calling him an "assassin" and even "Satan," with frequent references to his friendship with Fidel Castro. On the other hand, Chávista leaders characterized the strike as a "lockout."
...In an editorial it subsequently apologized for, the nation's premier newspaper, El Nacional, called Chávez's supporters "lumpen," adding that they were prodded to take to the streets by a bottle of rum.
Although Chávez's enemies seem overwhelming, he is in a stronger position than in April. As a result of that coup, Chávez identified and isolated his adversaries within the armed forces and consolidated his military support.
Another change favoring Chávez is Washington's new posture. President Bush justified the April coup, and newspaper reports at the time documented the U.S. bankrolling of opposition groups. The recent exit of Otto Reich as provisional assistant secretary of state, whom Vice President José Vicente Rangel on different occasions has called a "liar," a "clown" and a "provocateur," may help improve relations. The Venezuelan opposition now openly criticizes U.S. ambassador Charles Shapiro for maintaining a distance from the impasse.
A comment made by Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleischer on December 13 supporting immediate elections in Venezuela was retracted days later, thus committing Washington even more to strict neutrality. As Washington prepares for armed conflict in Iraq, its interest in stable oil prices and production overshadows all other concerns....
<http://www.inthesetimes.com/issue/27/04/news2.shtml> -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/>