By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

              CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- A fourth military officer has demanded that
              President Hugo Chavez resign, further undermining government efforts to
              reach out to foes and ease mounting political tensions.

              Air Force Gen. Roman Gomez Ruiz urged other colleagues to speak out,
              citing military unhappiness with alleged government corruption and the
              president's management of the armed forces.

              ``To the armed forces ... remember that the people are above all else. And
              our loyalty is to the nation, not with a particular leader,'' Gomez Ruiz said at
              a news conference.

              ``President Chavez, for the good of the country and for love of the armed
              forces, resign peacefully and take responsibility for your failure.''

              In an interview published Tuesday, Chavez dismissed the officers' calls for
              his resignation, saying they were ``of absolutely no importance.'' He told the
              French daily Le Monde that the officers ``are dissatisfied for personal
              reasons.''

              Asked whether there was a risk of a military coup against him, Chavez
              replied: ``Absolutely no risk. Zero.''

              Gomez Ruiz praised the three other officers who announced their dissent
              before him -- Air Force Col. Pedro Soto, National Guard Capt. Pedro
              Flores and Navy Vice Adm. Carlos Molina Tamayo.

              Last week, Soto was discharged and Flores was ordered jailed for 15 days.
              The military still is deciding whether to sanction Molina Tamayo.

              Gomez Ruiz claimed ``many more'' in the 100,000-strong military shared his
              discontent.

              The other officers accused Chavez of polarizing Venezuelans by constantly
              feuding with the business elite, the Roman Catholic Church and the media,
              and of alienating allies such as the United States by cozying up to Cuba and
              sympathizing with Colombian leftist rebels.

              The officers also said soldiers resented being forced into civil duties under
              one of Chavez's flagship development programs.

              In Washington, a Bush administration official said Tuesday that some
              Venezuelan officers have sounded out U.S. diplomats about how the United
              States would react to a coup against Chavez. They were told the United
              States steadfastly opposes any subversion of the democratic process, said
              the official, asking not to be identified.

              Chavez has denied sympathizing with rebels and praised Colombia's decision
              to end 3-year-old peace talks with insurgents. He also met with several
              Roman Catholic priests Monday.

              Chavez, a leftist former coup leader, insists the military supports him. Its top
              brass publicly expressed loyalty to the government last week.

              Defense Minister Jose Vicente Rangel said Gomez Ruiz was angry about
              being asked to step down earlier this month as head of air transport in the
              Infrastructure Ministry.

              Gomez Ruiz, a 27-year military veteran, said he quit his post because he was
              unhappy with the Chavez administration. He admitted, however, that he had
              been fined for an ``administrative irregularity.''

              Chavez was elected in 1998 with overwhelming support from the poor
              majority, but his popularity has plummeted over frustration with crime and
              unemployment.

              Chavez tried to boost investor confidence by dropping a fixed currency
              exchange system for the Venezuela bolivar.

              Opposition leaders also say Chavez's appointment of radical leftists to
              government posts undermined his promises to trim government spending and
              get along with business leaders.

              In a newspaper advertisement Tuesday, more than 3,000 workers at
              state-owned oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela SA protested Chavez's
              decision to sack company president Gen. Guaicaipuro Lameda and replace
              him with leftist economist Gaston Parra.

              Lameda retired from the military last week so he could be free to criticize the
              government.