Chavez Seeks Decree Powers Over Opposition Protests

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is set to ask the National Assembly to grant him powers to enact legislation without its approval, a move the opposition says is intended to weaken the new congress being sworn in next month.

Decree powers are needed to quickly allocate resources to build homes and repair infrastructure after heavy rains killed 35 people and left 124,000 homeless, Chavez said Dec. 10. The government will request permission as early as today and begin to pass legislation on Dec. 17, he said.