Venezuelan President Resigns Afer Coup

The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, was forced to resign today after a military coup followed civilian demonstrations that ended in government troops firing on protesters.

Mr Chavez gave his resignation to three generals at the presidential palace in Caracas, according to Colonel Julio Cezar Anzola.

The management of Venezuela's massive oil business is at the root of the country's current problems.

Unrest came to a head three days ago when Mr Chavez vowed to crush a general strike called by Venezuela's largest business and labour groups. National Guard troops and pro-Chavez gunmen then opened fire on 150,000 anti-government protestors with bullets and tear gas.

At least 13 people were killed and over 100 wounded in the violence.

The strike had been called to support oil executives who wanted Mr Chavez to sack new management he appointed at the state oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela. The executives were on a work slowdown that had seriously cut production and exports in Venezuela, the world's fourth largest oil exporter.

Other trade unions had turned against Mr Chavez, partly because the government owes billions of pounds in back wages and pensions inherited from previous governments.

Military and civic leaders are now trying to create a transitional government, according to former General Guaicaipuro Lameda, ex-president of Venezuela's state oil monopoly.

The El Universal newspaper reported that Pedro Carmona, president of the Fedecamaras business chamber, had accepted an offer to head a transitional government. This report has not been confirmed but Mr Carmona was seen going into Caracas' main army base early this morning.

The defence minister, Jose Vicente Rangel, has asked for asylum at the Chilean embassy, and Mr Chavez's family flew to the western Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto yesterday.

Speaking from the Fuerto Tiuna army base Mr Lamede said: "Events are still developing. I urge Venezuelans to maintain calm, to keep faith, to continue working on the road toward democracy, freedom and peace. It is with sadness that to reach this point, so many people had to die, so many were wounded."

He alleged that Mr Chavez's administration had started arming so-called "Bolivarian Circles" that critics say are modelled on Cuba's infamous Revolutionary Block Committees. Officers said Circle members fired at opposition protesters during yesterday's demonstrations.

"The Circles began to act like shock troops," Mr Lameda said. "The president was disinforming Venezuelans and abusing power."

Following yesterday's violence, Commander General Afrain Vasquez Velasco ordered his troups to join him in rebellion against Mr Chavez.

Speaking on television he said: "We ask the Venezuelan people's forgiveness for today's events. Mr President, I was loyal to the end, but today's deaths cannot be tolerated."

More than 40 other high-ranking officers rebelled, including General Luis Alberto Camacho Kairuz, vice-minister for citizen security.