Venezuela referendum supported
Venezuela's vice president said the government would respect the high court if it rules to allow a February 2 referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule.
However, Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel warned that such a ruling would create chaos in this country of 24 million coping with a general strike called by opponents to overthrow Chavez.
"If the Supreme Tribunal confirms the referendum is constitutional we will accept it," said Rangel. The govern-ment, he added, complied with a ruling exonerating the leaders of an April 11 coup against Chavez.
Anger is growing on both sides as the strike drags into its sixth week. It has hurt oil production in the world's fifth-largest exporter and depleted store shelves.
Chavez's opponents call him authoritarian and unfit to govern, while supporters of the leftist former paratrooper accuse strikers of trying to force a coup.
On tuesday, an airliner headed to the Dominican Republic was forced to return to Caracas when passengers staged an on-board protest targeting an ally of Chavez.
They shook fold-out trays and shouted to protest the presence of retired General Belisario Landis, Venezuela's ambassador in Santo Domingo, shortly after the Aeropostal-Alas de Venezuela flight left the ground. The pilots returned to Caracas, and everyone on board was evacuated.
The boeing 727 took off again an hour later, after passengers promised not to disrupt the flight again.
Another incident occurred inside the airport on Tuesday when an unidentified man threw a tear-gas grenade at a group that was shouting "Assassins! Assassins!" at pro-Chavez lawmakers.
After a few minutes of confusion, the airport continued functioning normally.
On november 6, opposition groups presented election authorities with the 2 million signatures required to convoke the nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule.
Under venezuelan law, citizens can convoke a referendum by gathering signatures from at least 10 percent of the nation's 12 million registered voters.
If high court magistrates declare the referendum legal, Rangel said, the government will urge the president's supporters to abstain from casting ballots.
Allies and adversaries of Chavez have presented the Supreme Tribunal with 14 cases for and against the plebiscite.