CARACAS, Venezuela -- (AP) -- Venezuela's constitutional assembly has
 rejected President Hugo Chavez's proposal to rename the country in honor of
 South American independence hero Simon Bolivar.

 Chavez, who like many Venezuelans idolizes Bolivar, had wanted the country to
 be named the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. But the assembly, which is
 writing a new constitution for Venezuela and is controlled by his supporters,
 turned down the proposal on Tuesday, saying it would be too costly to change
 passports, currency and official documents.

 Among those voting against the proposal was Chavez's brother, Adan, a university
 professor.

 REVERED LIBERATOR

 Bolivar, who was born into a wealthy family in Caracas in 1783, is a towering
 figure in Venezuela and other Latin American nations. He freed Venezuela,
 Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia -- the country named after him -- from
 Spanish rule.

 But his goal of uniting South America failed eventually, and in 1830 he died a poor
 and hated man.

 The 131-member assembly also voted Tuesday to keep Spanish as the nation's
 official language but permit the official use of Indian languages among the nation's
 500,000 Indians. Assembly members also approved a preamble that generally
 backs democratic principles.

 RUSHING TO FINISH

 The assembly, which was elected in July, has until February to finish the new
 constitution and then submit it to a national referendum. However, Chavez has
 urged it to speed up its work and hold the vote by December.

 The assembly, which started debating the proposed constitution on Monday, has
 decided to meet seven days a week and even eat lunch at their seats to avoid
 losing time.

 Chavez and his supporters contend a new constitution is needed to help clean up
 rampant corruption and ease poverty in the oil-rich nation. His detractors say the
 current 1961 constitution is fundamentally sound and that the assembly is
 pushing the new constitution through haphazardly.

                     Copyright 1999 Miami Herald