Venezuelan riot police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets to separate supporters and opponents of President Hugo Chavez who clashed in Caracas during an anti-government protest.
Troops fired volleys of tear gas for several hours Friday as Chavez supporters hurled rocks at opposition activists marching to a military complex in the capital.
At least one person was shot as gunfire rang out during the protest. Several others also were wounded in the violence.
The anti-Chavez marchers staged their latest rally to demand the release of a dissident National Guard general taken into custody several days ago. A judge ordered General Alfonso Martinez released, but he remains under house arrest.
Strike leaders also are calling on the military to support their month-long general strike to force President Chavez to resign and call early elections. He refuses to step down, saying the walkout amounts to a coup attempt.
Before the strike began, Venezuela was the world's fifth-largest oil exporter. The walkout has paralyzed the country's key oil industry, forcing the government to import fuel.
Global oil prices also have hit two-year highs as the work stoppage and fears of a possible U.S. war with Iraq rattle world markets.
The Organization of American States has been mediating talks between the Chavez government and its opponents. The negotiations, however, have failed to make significant progress.
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