Venezuelan president accuses US of inciting Zulia state separation

Mar 5
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has accused the United States of supporting a separatist movement in Zulia and of a plot to invade the nation and kidnap him.

"As head of state and commander-in-chief, I guarantee that those (separatist) Venezuelans will find themselves confronting the armed forces, the republic and first of all the conscience, patriotism, and the spirit of the noble Zulian people," he said onhis Sunday television show, Alo Presidente.

Zulia has a large proportion of Venezuela's oil and gas deposits and is ruled by Manuel Rosales, an opponent of Chavez.

The Zulian organization, Own Course, a group of self-identifiedright-wingers, has proposed holding a referendum in the world's fifth largest oil exporting country, with the stated aim of forming a "liberal, capitalist-oriented government, opposed to the socialist government of Chavez."

"Don't be crazy," Chavez told Rosales on national television, and added that those who were involved in the initiative would be put in their place. He said it was not the first time that "fifth columnists" and "those whose minds are sympathetic to colonizers and traitors" have tried to separate Zulia from the rest of the country.

Chavez described the secessionist movement as part of a U.S. plan with "overt and covert actions" to overthrow him and kill him.

In the same broadcast, Chavez said that the U.S. had prepared aplan to invade the nation and kidnap him, because this would be cheaper than launching a full-scale war against the country.

He said that the U.S. would allege that Chavez's popularity was exaggerated in opinion polls and then further allege fraud in the presidential elections.

"In that way, they will try to get the Organization of American States and other international organizations to interfere with the results of the election," he said. "But, if one day a group of invaders come for me, they won't take me alive, I am completely sure. My blood will run to preserve the dignity of this land and my people."

Chavez added that on March 11 he would visit Chile to take partin the inauguration ceremony of Michelle Bachelet as the its president and attend a leaving dinner for outgoing president Ricardo Lagos.