CARACAS: Venezuela's leftist leadership called Monday for a massive show of support for ailing President Hugo Chavez in Caracas on January 10, the day he is supposed to be sworn in to a new six-year term.
"All of Venezuela will come here in front of the Miraflores presidential palace, the people supporting our president, the people supporting comandante Chavez -- in an overwhelming manner, the people in the street," said National Assembly speaker Diosdado Cabello.
Cabello, who also heads Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela, said heads of state and government also were expected to attend the giant rally. Uruguay's President Jose Mujica confirmed that he will be in Caracas.
The call came as the government faced rising criticism over plans to indefinitely delay Chavez's inauguration if he is too sick to be sworn in.
The Catholic church waded into the controversy with a veiled warning to the government that it would be "morally unacceptable" to override the constitution and that Chavez's prolonged absence had put the country's stability at risk.
A key opposition figure called for street protests if the government pushes past the January 10 date without Chavez being sworn in.
The Venezuelan president has not been seen in public since he underwent a fourth round of cancer surgery in Cuba nearly a month ago, his longest absence during 14 years in power.
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