Venezuelans march against president

Anti-Chavez feelings have been building

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Venezuelan capital to support an air force colonel who has called for the resignation of President Hugo Chavez.

The protesters gathered in Caracas after military police attempted to arrest the officer, Colonel Pedro Soto.

Military chiefs deny Colonel Soto's views are shared

The colonel urged the demonstrators to follow him to Mr Chavez's residence to demand that he step down.

It is the second protest this week against President Chavez, who is accused by his opponents of acting like an autocrat.

Many of those who took to the streets said they came out in support of the colonel after they saw television pictures of the police attempt to detain him.

They chanted "Chavez Out! Chavez Out!" as they rallied in Altamira Plaza where Colonel Soto stood on top of a car, waving a red, yellow and blue Venezuelan flag.

The demonstrators then headed towards the presidential residence.

Under Chavez, the military has assumed a prominent role in government

The action by the police followed remarks made by Colonel Soto when he made an unexpected appearance at a democracy forum earlier on Thursday.

He accused Mr Chavez of controlling the country's parliament, supreme court and armed forces.

After a tense stand-off lasting more than an hour, the military police allowed him to go on his way.

The BBC's Adam Easton in Caracas says Colonel Soto's comments will fuel speculation that there is growing discontent in the military over Mr Chavez, whose popularity has dropped sharply in recent months to around 35%.

However the head of the armed forces, General Lucas Rincon, denied that Colonel Soto's criticisms reflect the position of the military.

Once a hero

On Monday, hundreds of people protested against Mr Chavez's celebration of his failed attempt to overthrow President Carlos Andres Perez 10 years ago.

Earlier this week senior United States officials questioned Mr Chavez's understanding of democracy and said there were signs he supported Colombia's guerrilla groups.

President Chavez says opposition to him and his social reforms stems from the news media, who he accuses of being against his efforts to redistribute wealth to the poor. He has also made personal attacks on the country's business leaders and trades unions.

Mr Chavez's coup attempt 10 years ago made him a hero among millions of Venezuelans tired of political corruption and growing hardship.

He went on to be elected president in a landslide victory in 1998, promising to alleviate widespread poverty.