A move to arrest a prominent opposition leader sent thousands of anti-government protesters into the streets of the Venezuela’s second-largest city on Friday, accusing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez of launching a new attack against his critics.
The protest came after a prosecutor called for the arrest of Mayor Manuel Rosales, a prominent Chavez opponent who has been accused of corruption.
Rosales told the crowd: “There is no justice in Venezuela ... But we will continue fighting.”
Critics said Chavez and his allies were leading a two-pronged offensive by persecuting opponents and increasing presidential power by putting all airports, highways and seaports under federal control. Several key ports were previously administered by Chavez opponents.
Chavez won a key vote last month that eliminated term limits.
He has warned governors that they could be arrested if they try to resist the new law bringing transportation hubs under national control.
“The persecution of the opposition is beginning, and I’m sure that Rosales won’t be the last to go to jail,” opposition leader Oscar Perez said.
Chavez denied persecuting opponents for political reasons and has called for Rosales to be jailed on corruption allegations stemming from the mayor’s 2002 to 2004 term as governor of Zulia state.
The attorney general’s office said the case against Rosales was based on a 2007 report by the country’s comptroller general, the leading anti-corruption authority, that found Rosales received funds “he could not justify.”
Analyst Luis Vicente Leon said some of Chavez’s actions appeared aimed at instilling fear in his foes.
“He’s sending the message that he’s capable of going against anybody — no matter how strong you are,” said Leon, a Caracas-based economist and pollster.
Some critics were also alarmed by the socialist leader’s efforts to clamp down with more state control over the economy as the effects of the world economic meltdown begin to set in — compounded by low prices for Venezuelan oil, which provides 94 percent of export earnings.
Chavez has been playing hardball to try to get private companies to produce more price-controlled items as required under strict new regulations aimed at containing inflation. He ordered the expropriation of a rice plant owned by Minneapolis-based Cargill Inc earlier this month and warned major food producer Empresas Polar that it could be taken over if it does not obey the new regulations.
Chavez was to announce economic measures yesterday to help cope with the global crisis.
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