Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez was clear: "You can not do anything by halves." "People should take sides: This is a class struggle. There can be no reconciliation when we are (fighting for) a real revolution."

"There are no possible agreements with this unpatriotic bourgeoisie, these fascist groups," as this is the "only way to deepen and strengthen a revolution such as the Venezuelan revolution," warned the Head of State. He stressed that it is difficult to make a revolution in circumstances such as these: the opposition is acting in Venezuela instead of Miami, such as the Cuban opposition. In addition, he noted that Venezuela's opposition owns TV stations, newspapers, radio, a lot of money, banks, espionage and several local governments such as: Carabobo, Miranda, and Táchira states (...)."

Chávez, who broadcasted his weekly radio and TV program from the Bolívar Square, downtown Caracas, dismissed the polls mentioned by opposition leaders. "Some say that 70 percent of the population is against me." Chávez compared "the unified bloc" of the ruling party with the different Venezuelan "opposition groups," "one more fascist than another, one more or less respectful of law," which "will not be unified …"

However, Chávez urged the revolutionary forces to "enhance unity" and support the method to select candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections decided by the extraordinary congress of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). "It would be very sad that (our candidates) fight for a nomination… "We are obliged to win at least 110 deputies," of the 165 deputies in the National Assembly.

Chávez also asked to choose lawmakers "who do not switch parties, as some of them did some time ago (...) They are now defending the oligarchy." In some countries, there are laws that punish party-switching, the President said.

The Venezuelan leader reiterated that the "real students are with the revolution", because the "small groups" who protest are "fascist groups."

Chavez praised the remarks made by Roy Chaderton, the Venezuelan Ambassador to the Organization of American States, who responded to Canada's concern "about violence unleashed by the Venezuelan government and the deaths of two students" in the state of Mérida. "Our dead people hurt us, wherever they come. But we must clarify this point to (the Canadian government): the two young dead were revolutionaries."

Chávez said that he would be on Monday in Ecuador to attend the Unasur meeting where the main issue to be discussed will be the aid to Haiti.

Finally, the Venezuelan president said that the communes should have the power to legislate. He also instructed each community to organize its popular militia.

mdespinoza@eluniversal.com

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas