> CARACAS, Dec 28 (Reuters)--Venezuelan President Hugo > > Chavez on > > Thursday rallied his country's armed forces behind > > his leftist rule > > and warned his foes not to "cross the line" by > > trying to kill him or > > seeking a military rival to topple him. > > > > Speaking to army garrisons in Caracas, the firebrand > > former > > paratrooper demanded the allegiance of Venezuela's > > officers and > > soldiers to his government and to his > > self-proclaimed "revolution" in > > the world's No. 4 oil exporter. > > > > Wearing a red paratrooper's beret and camouflage > > uniform, Chavez > > assailed the business and labor leaders and > > political opponents who > > staged a widely supported national protest strike > > against him on Dec. > > 10. > > > > "I'm warning them clearly, so they don't make a > > mistake ... they had > > better not cross the line," Chavez said. "If they > > do, they will get > > what they deserve from the law." > > > > Since the strike, the president has noticeably > > cranked up his > > revolutionary rhetoric against his opponents and > > repeatedly rejected > > opposition calls to suspend his left-leaning > > reforms. > > > > "Ideas about destabilization, about killing Chavez > > have started > > springing up again," said the tough-talking > > president, who himself > > staged a failed coup in 1992 six years before > > winning the presidency > > in a landslide national election. > > > > Chavez said it was his duty as "as a > > comrade-in-arms" to warn the > > military about plots against him and his government. > > > > Those in the armed forces who did not feel fully > > identified with his > > "revolution" were free to leave, he added. > > > > In a four-hour speech that mixed childhood memories > > with references > > to Jesus Christ and Venezuela's 19th century > > independence hero Simon > > Bolivar, Chavez said some opponents were thinking of > > trying to topple > > him through a military coup. > > > > "They need a Pinochet, they are looking for a > > Pinochet," he added, > > recalling Chile's ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet who > > took power in a > > violent 1973 coup in the South American country that > > toppled former > > socialist president Salvador Allende. > > > > Chavez did not identify the alleged plotters against > > him. But he made > > clear he was referring to those who opposed his > > government's efforts > > to apply "revolutionary" reforms covering everything > > from land and > > oil to finance and fisheries. > > > > DISMISSES OPINION POLLS > > > > The president argued that the disputed reforms, > > which are also being > > challenged by his business opponents in the Supreme > > Court and > > parliament, were the translation into law of a 1999 > > Constitution > > which was approved through a national referendum. > > > > "The revolution is the same as the constitution ... > > the > > counterrevolutionaries are outside the > > constitution," he said. > > > > The disputed reforms include a Lands Law that aims > > to redistribute > > idle rural estates to poor peasants and an Oil Law > > that reasserts > > state control over the strategic oil industry. > > > > Dismissing opinion polls that show his popularity > > sharply reduced > > since his 1998 election, the president told officers > > and soldiers to > > ignore what he called a "colossal psychological war" > > being waged > > against him by opponents through the media. > > > > He said his foes were seeking to portray his reforms > > as an attempt to > > create a communist state in Venezuela similar to > > Fidel Castro's Cuba. > > "This is totally false," he said. > > > > The president added his "revolution" was "neither > > capitalist, nor > > communist, nor socialist" but "Bolivarian," inspired > > by nationalist > > hero Bolivar, who liberated Venezuela and other > > Latin American states > > from Spanish colonial rule. > > > > "It's a democratic revolution, which foresees a > > democratic, > > participative political model and a humanist > > economic model that > > mixes the state and the market," Chavez said. > > > > His business and labor opponents, who have promised > > further strikes > > and protests if their views are not heard, accuse > > the Venezuelan > > leader of forcing through by decree a package of 49 > > reform laws > > without consulting other sectors of society. > > > > They argue that these reforms will destroy jobs and > > investment by > > penalizing the private sector and increasing state > > interference in > > the economy. > > > > Citing falling prices for oil, Venezuela's main > > export, Chavez > > predicted a tough year for his country in 2002. But > > he said the > > economy had still managed to grow this year by 3 > > percent, one of the > > highest growth rates in Latin America. > > > > > ================================================================= > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send your FREE holiday greetings online! > http://greetings.yahoo.com >
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