Chavez denies pressure to concede

CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday denied he bowed to voters' rejection of a referendum only at the prodding by the military and said he would continue to push for sweeping constitutional changes.

"Get ready, because a new offensive is coming," Chavez said after breaking into a news conference being given by the military high command to address issues surrounding Sunday's vote. "If the people collect the signatures, the reform can be submitted for a referendum again."

The referendum, which would have opened the door for Chavez to hold on to power indefinitely and moved the country toward institutionalized socialism, lost 51 percent to 49 percent, according to official results.

In contrast to the conciliatory tone he took in announcing the victory of the "No" forces early Monday, he heaped scorn on the opposition's "Pyrrhic" victory Wednesday, saying that "they're now filling it with sh--."

"It's a piece of sh-- victory, and ours -- they can call it a defeat, but -- it was courageous, full of valor, full of dignity," he said at the Miraflores presidential palace with his top military commanders.

Chavez and his defense minister, Gustavo Rangel Briceno, rejected media reports that sectors of the military pressured Chavez to accept the defeat of his proposals after delays in announcing the referendum results.

"I can't be pressured," Chavez said. "I decided to come out immediately in favor of the (National Electoral Council's) decision, because I do want to keep playing clean."

Briceno seconded that, saying, "It's absolutely false that we pressured our commander in chief."

Despite the widespread use of computers to tally the votes, the Electoral Council did not release results for more than nine hours after polls closed. As the night wore on, opposition leaders, who had access to their own data, publicly called on officials to announce the results.

The independent newspaper El Nacional, citing unidentified government officials, reported that military officials had pressured Chavez to concede during late-night deliberations.

Also hinting at such a military role was former Defense Minister Raul Baduel, who played a key role in turning back a coup attempt against Chavez in 2002 but broke ranks last month over the proposed changes.

Chavez lashed out at Baduel during the Wednesday press conference, calling him a "traitor" who had been "bought by the (U.S.) empire."

Although Chavez has been re-elected twice by large margins, his policies have caused deep divisions in Venezuelan politics. During his presidency, he has faced a contentious recall attempt, a bitter national strike and an abortive coup in 2002.

Since winning a second six-year term in December, Chavez has promised to push forward with his particular brand of socialism and his "Bolivarian Revolution."

He insists the majority of the country's 26 million people back him, and he enjoys widespread support in poorer neighborhoods. The opposition argues that Chavez has undercut Venezuela's democracy by systematically concentrating power in his own hands. E-mail to a friend

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