[Cincinatus' Wife]

Venezuela's Chavez on audiotape ordering troops to defend presidential palace before violence *** MARACAY, Venezuela - Venezuelan news media released an audiotape Wednesday in which President Hugo Chavez is heard ordering troops and tanks into Caracas' streets to confront a massive opposition demonstration that ultimately ended in a blood bath.

In the tape, Chavez orders the activation of "Plan Avila," a state security emergency plan, to contain hundreds of thousands of civilians who marched on the presidential palace April 11 to demand Chavez resign. "I order you to start Plan Avila. The first move we must make is to send the Ayala Battalion," Chavez tells an unidentified officer via radio.

Venezuelan generals have said they refused to obey the order requiring them to use force against unarmed civilians. At least 17 people died that day anyway, and several investigations are underway to determine who is to blame.

The bloodshed led disgusted generals to oust Chavez on April 12. Loyalist troops and thousands of Chavez militants rebelled April 13, and Chavez was restored to power on April 14.***

[Cincinatus' Wife]

U.S. ties Argentina support to reform ***O'Neill said it is clear that Argentina will not be in a sustainable economic position until the central government has stronger powers to restrain spending by provincial governments. ''They have got to have an arrangement so that the national government is not at the mercy of whatever the provinces decide to do,'' O'Neill said***

Argentine president vows financial rescue ***Espert, the economist, said the IMF has called on Argentinean governors to make cuts that would force the dismissal of as many as 500,000 employees of the 1.2 million workers now on payrolls of state governments.***