Caracans split between boredom and business as usual

For some, the strike has been a lesson in politics. Jack Barrios, who says he never really cared about Venezuelan politics before, and never watched the news or read the papers, was one of the hundreds of thousands who waited up to 10 hours in line to register to vote or update their voting information before last week's deadline.

"I haven't really gone on the marches or banged pots at night. I feel voting is where I can make a difference," he says, admitting that he still does not watch a lot of TV. "It gets me really stressed out."

Mr. Barrios, an interior designer, has been out of work since the strike began - and it's starting to hurt.

"I used to never think twice about going into a store and buying a pair of pants or shoes, never thought about inviting a friend for dinner. Now, forget it," he says. "I'm being very conservative with money because I don't know when work is going to start again."

Not everyone, however, is on strike - even on the east side of town.

Just two blocks from the heart of the opposition's activities in Plaza Alta Mira, Super Hollywood Cleaners is one of the few busi- nesses that remain open. Owner Francesco Merola says he shut his doors the first day of the strike, but has been open ever since "because I have a lot of bills."

He says the strike is especially hard on small businesses that still have to pay rent, electricity, and taxes. "I think it's a political problem, and the economy shouldn't suffer for a political problem," he says.

But even though he is open, says Mr. Merola, leaning across the counter, business is bad. Everyone is out marching in T-shirts and jeans and not dressing up for work, thus not needing dry-cleaning services.

Across town, just steps from the presidential palace at Mira Flores, things look relatively normal. People buzz about, heading to work and doing business on the streets. This is one of Chávez's biggest enclaves of support, and not many people are on strike. In fact, many who live here couldn't afford to go one day without work.

"The opposition is hitting Chávez hard, but things here are still normal," says Larry Bonilla, an ice cream salesman, walking home with his daughter.

Mr. Bonilla's daughter will be starting classes, as usual, in January, because her teachers aren't on strike. He will continue to work, as usual, because his boss is not on strike. He takes the bus and subway, as usual, because he doesn't have a car.

He believes that if Chávez were to call early elections, which even two-thirds of Chávez's supporters say they want, he would win, because "he's different from the others. He's a crazy person. Any other president would have resigned by now."

Guido Manfredi owns a tailor shop in the heart of the city's old center. He says he's been open since the strike began, but because many of his customers come from the east side for alterations, his business has been struggling.

Still, he says as he looks around at the daily activity surrounding him, nothing much has changed here.

"You wouldn't think anything was going on in the country if you came here," he says.

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