Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the United States and Canada of encouraging opposition rallies to destabilize the situation in the Latin American country.
A wave of student protests against Chavez social and economic policies has recently swept through the country. Police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the crowds. At least two students died in clashes with police.
"The United States and its allies, such as the ultraconservative Canadian government, are attacking Venezuela in an attempt to unleash violence and destabilize the situation in the country," Chavez said on national television on Saturday.
Chavez criticized, in particular, the new U.S. ambassador to Brazil, Thomas Shannon, for "throwing darts at Venezuela."
Shannon, a former Assistant Secretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, earlier called on the Chavez government to stop repressions against the Venezuelan people, which protested against frequent power outages, the closure of opposition TV channels and rising crime in the country.
According to Venezuelan officials, at least 12,200 people were murdered by criminals in the country in 2009.
The U.S. Department of State has rated Venezuela a critical threat country for crime, and many experts have named the capital city of Caracas murder capital of the world.
Murder, kidnappings, armed robberies, car-jackings and residential break-ins occur with impunity and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice.
Chavez announced on Saturday that special anti-crime measures will be introduced on March 1 in 10 states and 36 municipalities, which registered the highest crime rates in the past.
MEXICO, February 7 (RIA Novosti)
