Chavez ally set to take over

"Chavistas" rushed to the presidential palace

Venezuela's vice-president, deputy to ousted leader Hugo Chavez, has said that he is taking power on a temporary basis.

Diosdado Cabello said he would hold power until Mr Chavez returned and "institutional order" was restored.

I, Diosdado Cabello, am assuming the presidency until such time as the president of the republic, Hugo Chavez Frias, appears

Tens of thousands of Chavez supporters have surrounded the presidential palace demanding proof that he resigned rather than was overthrown.

Troops loyal to the ousted president have taken over the palace, which is mainly empty, and Chavez's supporters say they have the backing of most of the military.

Mr Chavez has not been seen since Friday morning when the armed forces said he resigned at their request.

He had been held at the Fuerte Tiuna military base in the capital but there have been reports he has been moved to the Turiamo naval base on the coast, about 100km (60 miles) away.

Constitutional chaos

Interim President Pedro Carmona, who took over after Mr Chavez's removal, has reversed one of his first acts of power and reinstated the National Assembly.

The streets of Caracas were tense as demonstrators clashed with security forces

That decision was announced minutes after armed forces chief General Efrain Vasquez said he would only support the new government if the congress was restored.

But confusion as to who was doing what grew during Mr Carmona's first full day of power on Saturday with conflicting statements from his supporters and those loyal to Mr Chavez.

If Mr Cabello has the backing of the National Assembly, it is unclear whether Mr Carmona can wield any effective power.

Chavez unseen

Mr Carmona was forced to suspend the inauguration of his new cabinet while police fired water cannon and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators .

The Venezuelan people don't buy it that he has resigned

Chavez supporter

There were reports that Chavez supporters or "Chavistas" had got into the presidential palace, possibly forcing the relocation of Mr Carmona, the leader of the Fedecameras business group.

Mr Carmona has reportedly been moved to the Fuerte Tiuna military base in Caracas for his own safety.

The pro-Chavez crowds that gathered in Caracas and other cities around Venezuela said they were not convinced the president had stepped down.

Protestors said they wanted to see the letter of resignation which the provisional government said it has.

State television said Mr Chavez would be flown out of the country as he had requested, but there was no independent confirmation of that report.

Human rights demand

Mr Chavez's administration fell on Friday after three days of violent street demonstrations and a general strike called by business and labour leaders against the president's appointment of people seen as cronies to head the national oil company.

Chavez, elected with a landslide in 1998, has not been seen since Friday

The army has blamed Mr Chavez for the deaths of at least 13 people and injuries to 240 more when soldiers obeyed presidential orders to fire on a crowd of 150,000 demonstrators.

Mr Chavez won a landslide election victory in 1998 but has recently been facing serious political problems. He has asked for exile in Cuba, where his friend and ally Fidel Castro is in power.

Leaders from Latin American countries have called meetings to discuss the situation in Venezuela and most have not yet recognised the new government, though they criticised Mr Chavez.

Human Rights Watch, a US-based watchdog, said it was "deeply concerned" that Mr Chavez may have been forced from power by the military.