June 15— By Patrick Markey
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through Caracas on Saturday urging President Hugo Chavez to resign as his government tried to quell rumors of an impending military uprising two months after a coup briefly toppled the left-wing leader.
Waving flags, placards and huge, brightly colored banners, the rally jammed the capital's major Avenida Bolivar highway as it snaked through the city with a chorus of chants, whistles and horns.
"We want democracy, that's what we're fighting for. We shouldn't pay too much attention to rumors, this is what is real," said Pedro Perez, a 40-year-old attorney marching with a Venezuelan flag over his shoulder.
Eight weeks after the April 11-14 coup against Chavez, Venezuela is plagued by lingering political uncertainty as renewed fears of a fresh rebellion have rattled the world's fifth largest oil exporter.
At Miraflores Presidential Palace on Saturday, the armed forces had reinforced security with more soldiers, most dressed in camouflage fatigues rather than their usual uniforms.
Government officials said Chavez, a former paratrooper who himself lead a failed coup in 1992, was not at the palace and had left the capital to visit pro-government rallies in Aragua and Tachira states to the west and southwest of the capital.
PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN
Chavez has repeatedly dismissed recent rumors as part of a propaganda campaign waged by the political opponents to unseat his three-year-old government.
The rumors stem from e-mails that were widely circulated last week about a fresh ouster and a television broadcast showing masked figures claiming to be dissident military officers, who criticized Chavez and warned of a civil war, have left the nation fearful of more violence.
At least 17 people were killed when gunmen opened fire on an anti-government march on April 11, which triggered the brief coup before loyal troops restored Chavez to power. More than 50 people were also killed in the rioting and looting that followed the uprising.
April's political upheaval has left the oil-rich South American nation deeply fractured along class lines.
A populist who says his self-proclaimed "revolution" helps the poor, Chavez counts on the gritty slums and working-class neighborhoods of Caracas for his political backing while opposition leaders hold rallies in the capital's wealthy eastern suburbs.
Emotions are running high on both sides of Venezuela's political divide as talks between the rival groups have stalled amid sniping over who is to blame for deaths during the coup and its causes.
Elected in 1998, Chavez has faced increasing opposition from business and union leaders and even military officers who blamed his statist economic policies and close ties to anti-U.S. states such as Cuba for driving off investors and dividing the nation.
Copyright 2002 Reuters News Service. All rights reserved.
Carrying a large Venezuelan flag, protesters stage a march against the government of President Hugo Chavez through downtown Caracas, June 15, 2002. Thousands of demonstrators protested in Caracas to demand the resignation of Chavez and his autocratic rule. REUTERS/Jose Miguel Gomez
Opposition demonstrators wave Venezuelan flags during a march in Caracas, Venezuela, June 15, 2002. Thousands of Venezuelans opposed to President Hugo Chavez marched Saturday to demand his resignation and punishment for those responsible for 17 deaths during a coup in April. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)