VENEZUELA: Venezuelan government and opposition delegates yesterday began discussions aimed at ending a 25-day general strike which has brought the economy to a virtual standstill.
Mr Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organisation of American States, official mediator in the dispute, announced the breakthrough after three weeks of failed attempts to persuade the two sides to return to the negotiating table.
The Venezuelan President, Mr Hugo Chavez, agreed to send delegates to a "permanent dialogue session" overseen by a multi-party legislative commission.
The talks will consist of a 24-point negotiating document outlining pro- and anti-government positions followed by the crunch issue: a timetable for early elections in the new year.
The two sides were forced back to the table after anti-government activists failed to overthrow President Chavez during an indefinite general strike which is slowly winding down of its own accord.
The oil strike severely disrupted the nation's economic mainstay, forcing Mr Chavez to consider some form of early vote on his tenure in office.
The opposition announced a fresh resistance plan this week, proposing a tax strike and the activation of neighbourhood assemblies to short-circuit government institutions.
Mr Ali Rodríguez, director of Venezuelan oil giant PDVSA, yesterday confirmed the arrival of a million litres of oil into the country to offset the slowdown in production.
Oil workers are gradually returning to their posts, but management executives remained defiant and production is still well below normal levels.
AFP adds: Energy Minister Mr Rafael Ramirez said the Puerto la Cruz refinery in eastern Venezuela was working at 80 per cent of capacity, and that the Isla refinery in the Caribbean island of Curacao was back to normal.
The minister said western Venezuela's Paraguana refinery complex, the world's biggest, was yet to resume operations. He also listed six oil tankers that have resumed operations.