Threat of Martial Law Hangs Over Venezuela

Gunfire in Caracas over the last few days has increased tension in Venezuela as the general strike aimed at toppling President Hugo Chavez enters its fifth week.

Mr Chavez has reiterated his determination to remain in office despite opposition plans to hold a referendum on his rule next month.

The government is considering the possibility of martial law if there is further violence.

Last Friday, two men were killed by gunfire following clashes between opposition protesters and Chavez supporters. More than 70 others were injured.

The protesters were seeking the release of the dissident general Carlos Alfonso Martinez from house arrest. He is one of more than 100 officers who have made public their opposition to the president.

On Saturday, at the wake for one of the victims - a Chavez supporter - more shots were fired and two police officers were wounded.

Chavez supporters have blamed the Caracas police, who are regarded as pro-opposition, for Friday's shootings and the vice-president, Jose Vicente Rangel, has also accused the police of being responsible. But as with most of the recent shootings, different versions are offered by each side.

President Chavez has been encouraged by public shows of support for him last week when he attended the inauguration of the new leftwing Brazilian president, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

A spokesman for Mr Da Silva announced plans for a "Friends of Venezuela" initiative, involving Brazil, Spain and Portugal, which would try to mediate in the crisis. Last week, Brazil sent 500,000 barrels of oil to Venezuela.

Talks aimed at resolving the crisis under the auspices of the Organisation of American States would resume today in Caracas, a spokesman for the group said. He said that the OAS director general, Cesar Gaviria, remained optimistic.

The opposition are concentrating on having a referendum on February 2 which they believe will indicate that a majority of Venezuelans want the president to step down. They accuse him of mismanaging the economy and planning to "Cubanise" the country.

President Chavez has said he will submit to a referendum, but only in August as stipulated by the constitution he introduced a year after his election in 1998.

"What is going on in my country is not a strike, it is a coup attempt disguised as a strike," Mr Chavez said last week.

At the weekend, Mr Gaviria said that there was no agreement on the validity of an early referendum.

"It's a point on which it hasn't been possible to bridge the differences," he said. "But this does not mean we can't arrive at a solution in the coming days or weeks."

The country's vital oil industry has been seriously damaged by the strike, which has led President Chavez to contact neighbouring oil-produers such as Mexico, Ecuador and Trinidad and Tobago.

Venezuela is the world's fifth largest oil exporter and production has reportedly dropped by 90% as a result of the strike.