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}}}>Begin Venezuelans demand resignation of Ch�vez By Andy Webb-Vidal in Caracas Published: February 26 2002 19:28 | Last Updated: February 27 2002 03:19 Tens of thousands of labour union activists and political opposition supporters plan to take to the streets of Caracas on Wednesday to call for the resignation of President Hugo Ch�vez. Wednesday's march is likely to be the most visible sign yet of a broadening base of opposition to Mr Ch�vez, whose popularity after three years in office has sunk to 20 per cent, according to polls. A similar demonstration last month served to vent public discontent over the perceived autocratic style of the president but Wednesday's events take place amid growing signs of dissent within the armed forces and a rapidly deteriorating economy. Late on Monday, Air Force General Rom�n G�mez became the latest active senior military officer in three weeks to call publicly on Mr Ch�vez to resign and "accept responsibility for the failure of his government". Two weeks ago Mr Ch�vez announced several emergency economic measures, including the flotation of the currency, intended to halt the effects of accelerating capital flight and a looming fiscal deficit because of lower oil prices. The bol�var has since plunged by 35 per cent, a move that has already led to an increase in the price of imported goods and food staples by between 10 and 50 per cent. On Tuesday Mr Ch�vez appointed army General Francisco Us�n as the country's new finance minister, replacing Nelson Merentes to become the fourth finance minister in three years. Gen Us�n, who had been the head of the government's central budget office, will in the coming weeks be tasked with administering the cut in government expenditure announced by Mr Ch�vez. Aware of a reduction in purchasing power among lower income groups, the Venezuelan Workers Confederation, the country's biggest union body, has organised Wednesday's march. Historically symbolic, February 27 marks the date in 1989 when more than 300 people were killed as troops repressed looting in Caracas, an event known as the Caracazo. No one has yet faced trial. One of the causes of the Caracazo - the shock implementation by the then government of economic measures that led to sharp price increases - appears eerily familiar to many analysts. "The opposition is capitalising on February 27 to mark it as a date of mourning in the face of a creeping governability crisis," said Carlos Hern�ndez, political science professor at the Central University of Venezuela. In an effort to offset such a perception, government supporters have organised a counter-march to commemorate what Mr Ch�vez likes to call the day on which the nation rose up against "the evils of savage neo-liberalism". But some are angry at what they see as an attempt by the government to use one of the darkest dates in Venezuelan history. Liliana Ortega, director of Cofavic, an association seeking justice for the relatives of the Caracazo victims, said her group "absolutely deplored" any attempt by the government to celebrate it. 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