Leading newspapers in Venezuela, all of which support the opposition against the government of President Hugo Chavez, have started to question the wisdom of continuing the general strike.

Widely read by the middle class, many professionals and the wealthier sectors of society, the dailies argue that the strike has run its course and is now doing more harm than good.

The strike has strengthened the Chavistas' convictions El Nacional

When the strike began nearly 60 days ago, they were generally optimistic the opposition would prevail and the president would be forced to step down or call a referendum on his rule imminently.

Damage limitation

Now, a commentary in the right-leaning El Universal expresses the fear its continuation will "cause the country irreparable damage".

The daily believes that the strike is now undermining the opposition's desire to get rid of Mr Chavez legally and is "impeding the electoral solution".

Who is suffering more from the strike in the schools - the government or the students? El Mundo

Continuing the strike would be "irresponsible" on the part of those who claim to be trying to resolve the crisis.

The centre-left El Nacional warns that the opposition strategy has "serious limitations" and that instead of weakening the government, had "strengthened the Chavistas' convictions".

Stop, think, get a new strategy, and above all, not to give Chavez the pleasure of watching us destroy the country commentary in El Universal

It says the government "has not even blinked" and calls into question the belief it is possible "to get rid of Chavez immediately regardless of the method or the costs to the country".

The evening daily El Mundo asks: "Who is suffering more from the strike in the schools, the government or the students?"

'Citizens United'

A commentary in El Universal argues that the strike has unified the opposition into "a citizens' movement without precedent".

The commentator urged the opposition to "stop, think, get a new strategy, and above all, not to give Chavez the pleasure of watching us destroy the country".

Another El Universal commentary says the strike forced Chavez to "abandon his goal of staying in power until 2021".

He is now "desperately clinging" to the hope of victory in a possible referendum in late August, half way through his current term and which the constitution stipulates is the first possible date for a vote.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.