Venezuela Workers Who Backed Recall Fired

[sam7]

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ
ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Computer engineer Ingrid Sanchez, 32, signed a December petition demanding a recall vote for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. In February, she was fired from the government water company.

Anayr Yepez, 44, and six other workers were recently fired from their jobs with the government-run Caracas subway system. They, too, had signed the petition. A worker for the state oil company withdrew her signature from the petition after co-workers publicly posted lists of signers.

.....snip...

Sanchez worked eight years at the Hidrocapital water company until her boss called her in on Feb. 27 and told her she was fired for "reasons from the presidency that are confidential," she says.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-sa/2004/mar/29/032901730.html

[AP]

1. For another perspective:

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1236

March 23, 2004, Caracas—Over the past week, leaders of Venezuela’s opposition have been accusing the government of pursuing a systematic policy of firing public employees who signed the referendum against President Chavez. Government officials, however, deny the charges, saying that not a single case has been reported to the Labor Ministry and that, instead, there were many cases filed of private sector workers who were forced to sign the recall referendum petition, lest they be fired.



Health Minister says there will be no political retaliation



Adding fire to the opposition’s charges were comments by the Health and Social Development Minister, Roger Capella, who said “all those who have signed to activate the recall referendum against President Chavez should be fired from the Health Ministry.” He added that anyone who conspires against the government should not be working for the government.



A few days later, Capella retracted his remarks by saying that they were merely a personal opinion and not a matter of Ministry policy and that “the State is absolutely respectful of the positions of each and every one of its workers. One should not confuse my particular position on this with that of the State.” He added, “there will be no retaliation against those who have a political position that is different from that of the national government.” Capella's statements were repudiated by the opposition but also by sectors who support Chavez.



Venezuela’s Medical Federation, which has been opposed to the Chavez government for a long time, said that the minister would be considered “persona non-grata.” The federation’s president also said that fourteen doctors from one of the city’s main public hospitals had been fired for apparently signing the referendum petition.

[ret5hd]

2. thnx. AP...

i wish to extend my thanks to you for always staying on top of this and the other issues you always seem to be informed on. I try, but it usually seems that you and JudyLyn are always way ahead of me.