Venezuela's Roman Catholic Church issued an appeal for calm Friday amid fears of further violence ahead of a referendum on constitutional reforms that would give new powers to firebrand President Hugo Chavez."It is important that violent clashes between Venezuelans be avoided," the Venezuelan Bishop's Conference said in a statement.
Gunmen thought to be pro-Chavez militants stormed the University of Central Venezuela in Caracas and fired at students returning from a protest against the proposed reforms that will be put to a referendum on December 2.
Three students suffered gunshot wounds.
Chavez, on Friday lashed out at students who have led a series of demonstrations against the planned reforms, saying the protests were "a fascist assault" backed by Washington and wealthy Venezuelans.
"It is the rich classes who want to maintain their social cohesion," he said in a speech at the Ibero-American summit in Santiago.
"Those are the same people who supported the 2002 coup," he said.
Chavez, a former paratrooper who led a failed coup six years before he won the 1998 presidential election, was ousted in an April 2002 coup but was back in office after just two days.
He has pushed for a reform of the constitution that already was rewritten at his initiative in 1999.
The proposed changes would extend his term of office, and allow him to seek re-election as often as he wants.
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