Pizzas galore!

Mr Chavez countered, telling his ex-wife through his television programme ‘Alo Presidente’, : “Because of this soap opera that you are carrying on, I am going to stop this media show and end the (legal bid)."

Ms Rodriguez, a journalist, was allegedly the target of death threats this year when Mr Chavez supporters claimed members of the opposition planned to kill her in an effort to destabilize the Venezuelan regime.

The claims were denied by opposition politicians Luis Tascon and Ismael Garcia.

In an interview with the Spanish daily El Mundo, Ms Rodriguez claims Mr Chavez, a former paratroop colonel, only married her for political ends to improve his image.

“A blonde with blue eyes who could go to all the political functions on his arm. It was a complement to his roughness,” she said.

"Whenever I hear him talking publicly about our girl in public, I want to say the same to him as the King of Spain: 'Why don't you shut up'."

Ms Rodriguez is standing against the Government’s Socialist candidate and the main official opposition party, composed of a variety of different groups.

The result of the elections will prove a test of Mr Chavez’s popularity which is slipping according to recent polls.

In one poll, 82 per cent said they did not agree with Mr Chavez’ policies on security and crime. Sixty per cent were against cutting ties with the U.S. and 84 per cent said they opposed Fidel Castro – who Chavez jokingly referred to as ‘Our father who is Havana’.

“Every place that he loses, will be a symbolic defeat,” said Luis Vicente, an analyst for pollsters Datanalisis.

As an indication of how seriously he is taking the regional elections, Mr Chavez is putting out at least three television or radio broadcasts a day, interrupting popular soap operas and other programming.

“This is a new phenomenon: the preacher president,” said Antonio Pascali, a media expert.

“He is the president who has spoken most through the media in the world. Since 1998, he has accumulated 7,000 hours, the equivalent of 291 working days.”

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