Venezuelan opposition accussed of plotting to murder president
Venezuelan lawmakers distributed on Thursday tapes of opposition supporters who they claimed were planning to kill President Hugo Chavez, saying that the plot was coordinated by the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The conspirators, who were all retired military officers, "planned to suspend elections... planned to attack the head of state, assassinate top officials and carry out massive killings," President of the National Assembly Nicolas Maduro said.

Maduro said the moves were "a plot orchestrated by the CIA against the Venezuelan democracy."

Although he said the charges were backed by conversations between the conspirators, Maduro did not detail what the CIA's involvement might be. A CIA spokesman has denied involvement of any plot.

Five of Venezuela's opposition parties boycotted elections at the weekend, with Chavez's ruling coalition winning all 167 seats in the unicameral National Assembly.

A video detailing the charges was presented to local press on Thursday by a group of government supporters.

"The opposition had a terrorist and destabilizing plan to halt elections. We saw opposition leaders withdraw in an abrupt manner and we were saying that those who renounce electoral methods have something else up their sleeve," said Cilia Flores, one of the supporters.

Flores said there was a "network of conspirators preparing a coup d'etat that was both nationwide and international."

The group said that they would present evidence to a military prosecutor, so that he could open an investigation into the dissident retired officers that appeared in the video.

Chavez, who was elected in 1998, has previously charged Washington with involvement in a failed coup against him in 2002. Despite the political rift, Venezuela is still one of the top suppliers of U.S. oil imports.