Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced on Saturday that the central government has taken over all the country’s maritime ports and airports from local governments.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speaks at Miraflores palace in Caracas March 21, 2009. The Venezuelan government announced a series of economic measures including lowering government budget, increasing tax and more debt designed to offset lower oil revenue and the impact of the global financial crisis on the OPEC nation on Saturday.

The takeover, which Chavez said was aimed at coordinating national efforts in socialist construction, was based on the revised Organic Law of Decentralization, Delimitation and Competence Transfer of the Public Power, whose amendment was approved on March 12.

The central government is to set up seaport and airport companies to modernize the port facilities throughout Venezuela, Chavez said.

To bring the country’s major transportation hubs under federal control was based on security concern, said the president, noting those facilities are of strategic importance and should not be abused by certain local forces or mafia for drug trafficking.

Chavez has earlier ordered the Venezuelan Bolivarian National Army to occupy the facilities of Maracaibo, Puerto Caballo and Porlamar Ports, which respectively belong to the states of Zulia, Carabobo and Porlamar, all run by right-wing opposition politicians.

The takeover has met strong protest from the opposition.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet