BY FRANCES ROBLES

                      CARACAS - President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela passed a crucial test of his presidency Monday when
                      he disciplined two dissident military officers who called for his ouster and also managed to keep the
                      streets still.

                      And though Chávez temporarily diffused a controversy swirling around two insubordinate military
                      officers, the question remains on whether he can overcome a mounting crisis that is becoming the
                      toughest challenge of his term.

                      The two officers stunned the nation Thursday by publicly calling for Chávez's resignation. They reported
                      to their commanders Monday for the first time since last week's act of defiance.

                      The two men, Air Force Col. Pedro Soto and National Guard Capt. Pedro Flores Rivero, were sent home
                      in uniform and placed under investigation by a joint civilian and military board.

                      PUBLIC ASSURANCES

                      The two men emerged after all-day meetings Monday not in handcuffs or in distress, but eagerly
                      assuring the public that they were treated well by their superiors. Military leaders were no doubt
                      mindful of the hundreds of protesters outside the military base awaiting word on the fate of the two
                      men.

                      It was a sharp contrast to last week when thousands angrily rallied in Soto's support after military
                      police tried to arrest him. But for the middle class, keeping the men out of jail does little to offset the
                      lack of jobs and confrontational politics that has their ire.

                      ''A lot of people believed in that man,'' dentist Vilma Rivas said referring to Chávez. Energetically
                      shouting and waving flags outside the Ministry of Defense, she added: ``We want him out. A person
                      who is against the church, the military, the middle class and students can't take us forward.''

                      ENTANGLEMENTS

                      The battle between Chávez and the two officers was just the latest in a series of entanglements. In
                      December the business community and labor leaders staged a one-day strike that paralyzed a bulk of
                      the nation. Last month, opposition forces organized a tremendous rally.

                      RANGE OF COMPLAINTS

                      Complaints range from a series of laws Chávez pushed forward without a Congressional vote, and
                      growing resentment toward his friendly relations with Cuba and Colombian guerrillas. Various sectors
                      have bitterly complained of being shut out of his policy-making process -- particularly when the policies
                      involve them.

                      But Chávez champions himself as a savior for the poor and enjoys wide support there. The
                      land-distribution laws that caused him to clash with property owners were directly aimed at helping the
                      less fortunate.

                      ''What has happened is that he has antagonized all institutions of society -- the chamber, the unions,
                      the church and the press,'' said Miguel Otero, editor of El Nacional, the newspaper that was subject of a
                      recent bombing and protests by pro-Chavez groups. ``He's taken on every institution in his path. He
                      doesn't have support among the people or the military. He has support in a portion of his party, and
                      that's not enough.''

                      Chávez and his defenders discount recent events, saying they are a healthy product of an overall
                      democratic debate. They stress that protests took place without arrests, police repression, deaths or
                      even injuries.

                      Beyond calling Soto a ''traitor,'' Chávez has said little, but announced he would address the nation at 8
                      p.m. today.

                      ''There are 25 million people in Venezuela. The maximum you saw at the plazas on Thursday was 2,500
                      -- that does not imply a real danger of anything,'' said Tarek William Saab, head of the National
                      Assembly's foreign relations committee. ``We will treat this as it is: a domestic problem. This is not a
                      crisis.''