Thousands marched through the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on Saturday to oppose President Hugo Chávez’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 18km from the outskirts to the centre of the Caracas.
Local media reported as many as 600 000 people took part in the protest.
The show of strength comes ahead of a February 15 poll, when 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 of Caracas.
With his popularity dipping, Chávez 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 recently remarked.
Trying to re-enforce his message on Saturday, Chávez demanded state prosecutors investigate an armed group operating the left-wing stronghold of La Piedrita.
The group is alleged to have carried out car bombings and has pledged to defend Chávez’s ”revolution.”
Chávez has seen his popularity dip to 57% ahead of the poll, well below previous levels.
Falling oil and commodity prices have also hit the country’s resource dependent economy. — AFP
