Venezuela's Chavez warns opposition could be denied protest permits

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
President Hugo Chavez said Sunday his government could deny permits for opposition-led protests because of violence during demonstrations against proposed constitutional amendments that would let him run for re-election indefinitely. "The next time they announce one of these marches, we'll have to evaluate whether to grant permission," Chavez told thousands of supporters during a rally in favor of the reforms. He accused his opponents of planning to spur widespread political upheaval ahead of the Dec. 2 referendum on the 69 proposed constitutional changes. "We're not going to allow them to fill Venezuela's streets with blood," Chavez said.