Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has proclaimed victory over the participants of a 63-day strike against the government, which is being scaled back in wake of weakening support.
In his weekly broadcast Sunday, following the announcement by opposition leaders that they were allowing several businesses to start opening for restricted hours, Chavez said, "Today is a victorious day."
However, the opposition emphasized that its struggle against the President was simply "entering a new phase".
"We have beaten once and for all a new de-stabilizing attempt, a new malevolent and criminal attempt to sink Venezuela," Chavez was quoted by the BBC as saying.
However, in a new offensive against the president, hundreds of thousands of his critics signed a petition on Sunday calling for early elections following the failure to oust him through the national strike.
In the meantime, shops, businesses, banks and schools are resuming normal operations, although the return to work will not include thousands of oil workers who have decided to continue their strike until Chavez calls elections. (Albawaba.com)
