Fuel shipment arrives in Venezuela

Strikers say five million barrels of fuel are needed

Venezuela has received its first shipment of petrol from abroad, as a general strike which is paralysing its own oil industry threatens to continue for a fifth week.

The Brazilian tanker Amazonian Explorer - carrying 525,000 barrels of oil - arrived on Saturday and docked at Puerto La Cruz, 220 kilometres east of the capital, Caracas.

The opposition has vowed to continue its protests

The world's fifth-largest oil exporter has been forced to import food and fuel due to worsening shortages.

Opposition groups, trade unions and business leaders have vowed to continue the stoppage which began on 2 December until President Chavez steps down.

But Mr Chavez remains defiant.

"We haven't yet obtained victory but we are going to win the battle for [state oil company] PDVSA, the battle for Venezuela," he said in a speech in Puerto La Cruz.

The government says troops and loyal oil workers are moving tanker ships and restarting halted production wells - a claim disputed by striking oil executives.

'Not enough'

Oil executives say the Brazilian shipment will not go far in alleviating the crisis, as it is only little more than a normal day's demand of 400,000.

One strike leader, former PDVSA executive Juan Fernandez, compared it to "emptying a bottle of water in the desert".

The head of PDVSA, Ali Rodriguez, has said a further 400,000 barrels will be imported from Trinidad.

Chavez: "The worst is over"

But another strike leader, Horacio Medina, told Union Radio that five million barrels of petrol were needed to get the situation back to normal.

Mr Rodriguez says about 700,000 barrels of oil are being produced each day - compared to normal levels of 3.1 million.

However, strikers have scorned that claim, saying the real figure is closer to 200,000 barrels per day.

Food supplies have also been severely affected by the strike and the government says it has been forced to import 180,000 tons of food from neighbouring Colombia.

Chavez defiant

The opposition has called for another day of demonstrations on Sunday.

Strike leaders say they will not give up until President Chavez steps down or calls a referendum on his rule.

They accuse him of plunging the country into a deep recession and of authoritarianism.

But Mr Chavez says he will not hold a referendum before August.

Talks between the two sides, mediated by the Organisation of American States, are due to resume on 2 January.