http://www.theage.com.au/world/thousand-march-against-chavez-20090208-80y6.html
Thousand march against Chavez a.. Caracas b.. February 9, 2009 THOUSANDS marched through the Venezuelan capital at the weekend to oppose President Hugo Chavez's plans to allow unlimited re-election for officials, including himself. To cries of "no means no", demonstrators led by opposition parties and student groups marched 18 kilometres from the outskirts to the centre of Caracas. Local media reported up to 600,000 people took part. The show of strength comes before a February 15 poll in which Venezuelans will vote on whether to strip term limits from the constitution. "I am voting 'no' because I don't want the President to stay in office after 2012; he wants to monopolise everything," said Rolando Gonzalez, a worker from the densely populated Catia neighbourhood. With his popularity dipping, President Chavez has vowed to promote economic development and address mounting crime worries if he wins a third term. "Those who want to go on a direct route to violence, ungovernability and chaos, should vote 'no'," he said recently. Trying to reinforce his message on Saturday, Mr Chavez demanded state prosecutors investigate an armed group operating in the left-wing stronghold of La Piedrita. The group is alleged to have carried out car bombings and has pledged to defend Mr Chavez's "revolution". Mr Chavez's popularity has dipped to 57 per cent ahead of the poll, well below previous levels. Falling oil and commodity prices have also hit the country's resource-dependent economy. AFP
