WRAP Huge march to protest firing of oil workers скачать в хорошем качестве

WRAP Huge march to protest firing of oil workers

(9 Feb 2003) Caracas 1. Various mid shots of protestors banging drums and chanting 2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Carlos Ortega, Confederation of Venezuelan Workers (CTV) President: "What PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela S.A, the country's national oil company) is going through - and it's not only PDVSA, it's the country - is a criminal act by the regime against the country's primary industry, an industry which was ranked first in the world. This project's purpose is to further the politics of this regime, and to privatize this industry, and spend the people's money. And in these times - with the grave situation facing industry here, facing workers, facing Venezuela - the response of the people of Venezuela is what you are observing right here." 3. Long shot street filled with thousands of protestors 4. Wide shot demonstration 5. Mid shot demonstration 6. Wide shot demonstration 7. Mid shot PDVSA building, zoom out to demonstrators 8. Close up women chanting 9. Mid shot car driving past protest and beeping horn 10. Mid shot protestors raising huge Venezuelan flag and chanting 11. Close up protestor holding banner and blowing whistle 12. Mid shot demonstration Caracas 13. Various long, wide shots of streets packed with protestors 14. Various mid shots of protestors waving flags Night shots 15. Organisers walking on to stage with banner, pans to protestors 16. Various of barrels being presented on stage 17. Protestors being addressed by Juan Fernandez, former PDVSA executive - now leader of anti-Chavez group "People for Petroleum" 18. Various of man addressing protestors San Cristobal Day shots 19. Various of protestors marching through street STORYLINE: Tens of thousands of Venezuelans marched on Saturday in support of nine thousand oil workers fired for leading a two-month strike against President Hugo Chavez. More than 100-thousand Chavez opponents converged on a central Caracas highway after walking from four office buildings of the state oil monopoly, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., waving national flags and chanting anti-government slogans. Venezuela's opposition - business groups, labour unions and leftist and conservative politicians - ended a two-month general strike in all areas but the crucial oil industry earlier this week. The strike, which began December 2, was to demand Chavez's resignation or early elections. The government claims most of PDVSA's 40-thousand employees have returned to work. Strike leaders deny this, saying thousands refuse to return to their posts until Chavez re-hires the nine thousand fired and agrees to an early vote on his rule. The government is gradually reviving Venezuela's oil industry, which was the world's fifth-largest supplier before the strike. It has spent more than 500 (m) million US dollars on gasoline and diesel imports since the strike began. During Saturday's protest marchers displayed a letter of support for the oil workers to be delivered to representatives of the Organisation of American States, which is overseeing peace talks between the government and opposition. They said the letter had been signed by more than 2.5 (m) million Venezuelans. Opposition negotiators are demanding a constitution amendment that would shorten Chavez's six-year term and pave the way for general elections early this year. Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000 after pushing through a new constitution, insists foes must wait until the midpoint in his term - August 2003 - before petitioning for a referendum on his rule. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...