Fresh bid to end Venezuela stand-off

The Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Cesar Gaviria, is meeting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday to mediate in the stand-off between the government and dissident army officers.

Mr Gaviria will also hold talks with opposition leaders who are calling for an early referendum on President Chavez's rule.

Since last Tuesday, more than 100 Venezuelan military officers have been staging a protest in a square in the capital, Caracas, joined by thousands of civilians.

President Chavez remains defiant, saying that opposition parties should distance themselves from those supporting what he called military coups.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service