'US planning invasion' of Venezuela

Washington - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he has documentary evidence that the United States plans to invade his country.

Chavez, interviewed on Friday on ABC television's Nightline, said the plan is called "Balboa" and involves aircraft carriers and planes. A transcript of the interview was made available by Nightline.

He said US soldiers recently went to Curacao, an island off Venezuela's northwest coast. He described as a "lie" the official US explanation that they visited Curacao for rest and recreation.

"They were doing movements. They were doing manoeuvres," Chavez said, speaking through a translator.