Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias says he will command the Armed Force's (FAN) territorial army.

Speaking to followers on February 4 at a march to commemorate the February 4, 1992 failed coup attempt, Chavez Frias claims that Venezuela history was divided into two on that day in a before-after scenario.

• "We are revolutionaries and not coupsters ... and the revolution is not complete."

Turning to the situation inside the FAN, the President maintains that the military revolution seeks first of all to strengthen the corps, secondly, the civil-military unity and thirdly, the people's participation in national defense through the territorial army.

The reason why he is taken over command of the reservists, Chavez Frias says, is to take the weight off FAN components since they have too much to do already, especially regarding beefing up the country's integral defense.

Reminding his audience at the Cipriano Castro Barracks in (Caracas) La Planicie (former Military History Museum) that high quality Russian assault rifles and helicopters will be arriving shortly, the President says the FAN has the task of repairing its war material ... "Venezuela will not interfere with anyone and let nobody make a mistake about Venezuela." 

The President's speech has confirmed the key importance he attaches to the territorial army and has indicated that he will move a stage further creating popular defense units to be organized by State Governors and military regional command chiefs.

"I have taken the decision to pass the reserve army to the Commander-in-Chief's Command and I will assign extraordinary resources to  build the Reserve in barrios and give birth to popular defense units ... I have also decided to increase individual assignations to reservists as a very modest recognition for each day of training."

 Cumana in eastern Sucre State, Venezuela
 Photography: Santiago Padilla