Foreign nationals were urged today to leave Venezuela, where fears of violence mounted as oil workers defied a court order to end a 20-day-old strike, and negotiators failed to solve the crisis.
Britain's Foreign Office suggested Britons leave the trouble-torn South American country. Canada, Germany and the United States also issued similar recommendations.
Yesterday the US State Department ordered the departure of non-essential embassy staff and family members from Venezuela. The US government noted that the open-ended general strike has significantly eroded the quality of life in Venezuela.
"Resulting conflicts have led to some deaths and injuries, and there is a potential for further violence, the State Department said in a travel warning.
Canada's foreign affairs ministry issued a similar warning.
"The security situation in the country is highly volatile due to ongoing conflict between the government and its opponents," it said.
Internationally mediated negotiations have failed to ease the tension as neither side budged from its position. Yesterday, the government failed to show up for the talks, now expected to resume on Monday.
The business and labour leaders heading the strike have said the protest will continue until President Hugo Chavez step down or call snap elections, but the leftist-populist president, whose mandate ends in 2006, insisted he would do neither.
The right-wing opposition has hardened its stance, defying government decrees and court orders.
The thousands of oil workers at the heart of the protest have pledged to pursue the strike, even though the Supreme Court ordered them to restart the strategic sector they paralyzed.
The government put losses so far at $1 billion and said only 2.8 million barrels of oil were exported in recent weeks, barely more than the quantity Venezuela usually ships out in a day.
AFP