"Plot to Kill Me, Says Venezuela's Chavez"

Andiswa Mesatywa

Caracas — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denounced what he said was an opposition plot to assassinate him in his weekly television programme late on Sunday.

The leftist leader of Latin America's leading oil producer also criticised the lack of mention of Latin American affairs in three recent televised debates between US presidential candidates George W Bush and John Kerry.

"Warnings are sent to me from several places in the world, from Europe, from Latin America and even the United States, saying 'Chavez, pay attention, Chavez, don't let down your guard, because they're preparing an assassination in Venezuela,'" Chavez said on his Hello, President programme.

The plotters are motivated by his government's efforts "to change the capitalist system", Chavez said.Assassination attempts

Since he was first elected in 1999, Chavez has claimed several assassination attempts from opponents at home and abroad, notably in Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

He is adored by his supporters and detested by the Venezuelan opposition, which saw him handily defeat a recall referendum in August. He also survived an attempted coup that put him out of power for 47 hours in 2002.

On Sunday, he decried the lack of discussion of Latin America in three debates between the two White House candidates.

"What is certain is that in none of the three debates was the poverty of the region, or economic and political relations with Latin America brought up. Nothing," he said.

The candidates spoke only about illegal immigration to the United States, he pointed out.

"I have the impression that the American political class has delegated relations with Latin America to the military," he said.