Venezuela

NYTimes -- As the Hardships Mount, Venezuelans Consider Easing Lockouts

However, some strike leaders acknowledged that they never expected Mr. Chávez to endure the strike for so long. As it drags on, it suffocates the middle class entrepreneurs and professionals who are the opposition's base of support.

They rejected the comments of some political analysts that the strike had amounted to "economic suicide." But they said that within the fractious Democratic Coordinator there was growing support for giving small- and medium-sized businesses an opportunity to recover tens of millions of dollars in losses.

Note that the very small businessmen who remained open actually benefit from the middle-class suicide.

WashPost -- Chavez Orders Crackdown On Opposition

"They want to break us economically. They are not going to do it. I swear it by God and my mother," Chavez said during his weekly television and radio show.

During his broadcast, Chavez signed a decree creating a special government commission to combat a tax rebellion announced by opposition leaders.

The president, elected in 1998, said the strike was costing the country tens of millions of dollars a day. Chavez, who has already fired 2,000 striking state oil employees, repeated threats to send troops to take over private factories and warehouses if they hoarded food supplies.

OPEC Leaders Agree to Boost Oil Output by 6.5%

The step aims to offset the effect of the Venezuelan oil strike and to hold down prices in advance of a possible war in Iraq.