By TIM JOHNSON
             Herald Staff Writer

             CARACAS -- Deploring ``a great catastrophe'' in his homeland, former army
             coup leader Hugo Chavez assumed the presidency of Venezuela on Tuesday and
             pledged to shake the pillars of this nation's political and economic systems to help
             the poor.

             ``This has no other name except a revolution,'' the 44-year-old former paratroop
             commander declared during a rousing, 1-hour 47-minute inaugural address.

             With its strong military overtones and suggestions that his reform program would
             brook no opposition, the speech was unlikely to allay the concerns of foreign
             leaders and domestic critics. The fear is that Chavez, who has never before held
             elected office, may fail to respect the rules of Venezuela's democracy, once a
             model for the entire region.

             The onetime lieutenant colonel described his Feb. 4, 1992, coup attempt as the
             result of social disintegration and political corruption, and made no apology for it.

             ``The Venezuelan military rebellion of 1992 was as inevitable as the eruption of
             volcanoes,'' he said, saluting those in the audience, some now legislators, who took
             part in the uprising.

             By contrast, he issued a dramatic warning against potential enemies. There are
             times for consensus, he said, but not for those who stand against the kind of
             sweeping change he proposes in order to cure Venezuela's dire problems. Such
             opposition, he said, ``is treason.''

             Promising strong leadership

             He dwelt on the need for strong leadership to pull Venezuela out ``of this terrible
             labyrinth.'' Never again will his nation allow the political patronage system of the
             past 40 years, in which two main parties alternated power, he said.

             ``I will not hesitate for a moment to do what must be done. There is no going
             back.''

             The new president immediately called for a national referendum on whether to
             rewrite the nation's constitution, declaring that he would brook no legal challenge
             to the decision.

             ``It is not a time for legalisms. It is a time for history. It is a time for great political
             decisions,'' Chavez said to cries of ``Freedom!'' from supporters.

             The rise of Chavez -- who won an overwhelming electoral victory Dec. 6 -- may
             mark a watershed in Latin America. Far beyond Venezuela's borders, Chavez has
             crystallized anger and frustration among Latin America's poor at free-market
             policies that have brought only limited prosperity and democratic systems that, in
             some cases, give them little voice.

             A moral crisis

             Chavez offered a litany of statistics on how his oil-rich country had fallen into
             poverty even as it was suffering through ``a galloping and terrible moral crisis.''

             Listening intently were Cuban President Fidel Castro and at least 15 other heads
             of state or government, and delegations from some 45 nations, including a U.S.
             team led by Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson.

             ``He is popular. He wants to shake things up,'' Richardson said afterward. ``This is
             a potential leader in the hemisphere in a lot of areas.''

             Richardson added: ``We don't envision anything that would change our present
             relationship with Venezuela being our biggest supplier [of crude oil].''

             Chavez declared Venezuela in ``social emergency'' and said he would lead urgent
             reforms to fight poverty. He compared his nation to a ``human grave'' and said
             malnutrition abounds and only one child in five finishes grade school.

             Soldiers to join effort

             Soldiers will soon hit the streets and rural areas, he said, to help authorities build
             roads, fight disease and battle poverty.

             Throngs of supporters greeted Chavez as he arrived at Congress at around 10
             a.m., pumping his fist into the air, and beaming at well-wishers, his wife Marisabel
             at his side. Breaking protocol, he embraced his supporters, often shaking their
             shoulders in glee.

             Throughout inauguration day, Venezuelans heard leaders puzzle why their nation is
             so poor when it has among the largest oil reserves in the world.

             ``The nation is asking: What happened to powerful oil-producing Venezuela?
             Where did the unlimited resources go? How were they invested? How did
             Venezuelans benefit?'' asked Luis Alfonso Davila, the former army colonel who is
             now president of the Senate and a Chavez ally.

             As Davila held Venezuela's 1961 charter and Chavez rested his hand on it to take
             the oath of office, Chavez swore ``on this moribund constitution'' to bring about
             ``the necessary democratic transformations'' in Venezuela.

             `Mathematical mystery'

             In his speech, Chavez proclaimed it a ``mathematical mystery'' how Venezuela
             could have such vast resources and still maintain poverty levels approaching 80
             percent.

             ``Who can explain this? What scientist can explain this?'' Chavez said, turning to
             the observing heads of state.

             Chavez declared that his administration would renegotiate Venezuela's foreign
             debt, proclaimed agriculture to be a strategic area for national development and
             announced that his administration barely had enough money in the treasury to keep
             the lights on in public buildings.

             In a midafternoon ceremony, Chavez signed the decree calling on electoral
             authorities to schedule a national referendum within 60 to 90 days. Polls show
             Venezuelans overwhelmingly favor a Constituent Assembly to write a new
             constitution.

             At a huge outdoor rally in the evening, chants of ``Fidel! Fidel!'' nearly drowned
             out Chavez as he addressed tens of thousands of supporters. Castro, seated next
             to Chavez on the dais, stood, clasped his hands over his heart and signaled for the
             throng to hush.

             Cuban flags and pictures of the Cuban leader dotted the crowd.

             Clean sweep

             Chavez has pledged to throw tax evaders and corrupt officials in jail in a massive
             sweep to clean up Venezuela's bloated government and enforce tougher tax
             provisions to raise revenue.

             Transparency International, an advocacy group for clean government, rates
             Venezuela the ninth-most corrupt country in the world.

             Chavez is also overhauling the state oil company. On Monday, he named a new
             chief for the company, PDVSA, and complained that its spending programs
             ``don't take into account that there are children with no schoolrooms, hospitals and
             people with no medicines.''

             ``Oil, oil, oil and hunger, hunger, hunger, right next to the oil. No, this has to end,''
             Chavez said.
 

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