Caracas - After receiving power to rule by decree and moving to abolish the country's presidential term limits, President Hugo Chavez intends to stake a claim on a new frontier: the country's clocks. During Chavez' seven-hour weekly radio broadcast on Sunday, he revealed he would order all of the country's clocks to be set half an hour forward on January 1, 2008.
Chavez claimed the move would have positive effects on metabolism through extended sunlight exposure, and enable people to perform better at work and school.
The move is intended to correct a measure from 1965 when clocks were set back to encourage energy use in the oil-rich country, according to Science Minister Hector Navarro. He said scientific studies showed the move had a negative effect on performance in schools and workplace.
"All Venezuelans will profit from this," Navarro said.
The new time will put Venezuela only 4.5 hours behind Central European Time instead of five hours.
Just last week, Chavez unveiled plans to amend 33 articles of the country's constitution and pave the way for him to remain in power indefinitely. Under the 1999 constitution enacted shortly after Chavez assumed power, he is obliged to step down when his current second six-year term ends in 2012.
Earlier this year, he nationalized the oil industry and received approval by the National Assembly to govern by decree.
