Venezuelans rally in support of ailing Chavez

Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hold a mask depicting him while attending a rally in Caracas Jan 10, 2013. Chavez remained on his sickbed in Cuba on Thursday while supporters rally in his honour on the day he should have been sworn in for a new six-year term in the South American OPEC nation. The postponement of the inauguration, a first in Venezuelan history, has laid bare the gravity of Chavez's condition after complications from a fourth cancer operation in his pelvic area.[Photo/Agencies]

CARACAS - Thousands of red-shirt followers of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez gathered in the streets of the capital Caracas on Thursday to express their support for the ailing head of state.

"I take the oath with Chavez," many people chanted in a show of support for the president, who missed his own inauguration celebration as he recovered from cancer surgery in Havana, Cuba.

Venezuelan Vice-President Nicolas Maduro and President of the National Assembly Diosdado Cabello headed the celebration, accompanied by the presidents of Nicaragua, Uruguay and Bolivia, and Haiti's prime minister, as well as senior officials from other countries in Latin America.

His supporters were also celebrating the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) ruling Wednesday to uphold the government's move to postpone the swearing-in ceremony until Chavez is better, despite complaints from opposition factions.

One supporter, Mirian Sanchez, arrived in Caracas dressed in red and carrying a picture of Chavez, like her fellow companions from Coro, the capital of Falcon state, 453 kilometers northwest of Caracas.

"From this spot, I take the oath with him and I bless him. And to the opposition I say calm down and don't make up things, because the people are in the streets supporting the TSJ, the revolution and Chavez," Sanchez told a Xinhua reporter.

The capital's main Urdaneta Avenue was a sea of red as supporters spilled in from nearby streets and joined crowds gathering in front of the presidential palace of Miraflores.

Other parts of Caracas were also packed with Chavez supporters, including Plaza Venezuela, Libertador Avenue, Panteon Boulevard, Baralt Avenue and streets adjacent to Miraflores.

The TSJ ruling dampened a raging debate between government and opposition leaders on how to handle Chavez's inability to take the oath of office on Jan 10 as stipulated by the Constitution.

Maduro said the event was a mere formality that could be delayed, while opponents insisted that an interim leader should be named.

Chavez's physical "absence from the country should not be considered a temporary absence (from power)," the court said.

"Despite the fact that on Jan 10 a new constitutional term begins, a new swearing-in ceremony is not needed given (Chavez's) condition as a reelected president," the court added.

Chavez, 58, underwent a fourth operation on Dec 11, then contracted a lung infection that has complicated his recovery.

He was reelected Oct 7 to another six-year term, 2013-2019, winning more than 55 percent of the votes versus a little over 44 percent for his rival Henrique Capriles.

Maduro was to host 22 foreign leaders and senior officials later in the day at a summit of Petrocaribe members, the Venezuelan News Agency (AVN) reported. A mechanism for regional integration, Petrocaribe promotes cooperation in energy matters and is supported by Venezuela's oil industry.