Citing harassment, Venezuela's high court suspends most work***CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- Eight of the 20 judges on Venezuela's Supreme Court suspended work Tuesday to protest what they called political harassment from the government during the opposition's crippling general strike against President Hugo Chavez. The eight magistrates plan to work only on urgent cases of national interest, said Magistrate Alberto Martinez. The protest, which would disrupt most court work, came after the pro-Chavez National Assembly fired Franklin Arriechi, the court vice president, saying he wasn't qualified.
Martinez accused secret police of investigating justices who "have been suffering -- like many Venezuelans -- from a policy of threats and harassment." The protest raised tensions on the ninth day of the strike. Thousands of opposition demonstrators marched Tuesday in Caracas to protest a coordinated series of pro-government demonstrations at media outlets and an assault by Chavez supporters on a regional TV station. The strike led to further shortages of gasoline, food, drinking water, cash and other necessities.
In Washington, the State Department warned U.S. citizens to put off all travel to Venezuela and said Americans already there should consider leaving.***