Manuel Rosales, governor of northwestern Zulia state and former presidential candidate, Thursday warned President Hugo Chávez' Government that the Venezuelan people will fight to protect democratic principles in the face of the expected presidential moves.

Rosales said Venezuelans will not be defeated, and rather they are to fight jointly and orderly against any authoritarian pretension.

He said the Venezuelan society should organize to counter the government's socialism of the 21st century -which is intended to perpetuate Chávez' "indefinite kingdom" though indefinite re-election.

He slashed out at Chávez' moves to nationalize energy and telecoms major private firms La Electricidad de Caracas and Cantv, respectively, and claimed that such decision will only translate into worsened services.

Rosales rejected Chávez' decision not to renew the broadcasting license to 53-year-old private TV network RCTV, and urged Venezuelans to protest against this move intended to undermine freedom of speech and exert state control over the media.