Chavez vows to put "revolution" back on track

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez promised on Saturday to tackle poor garbage collection and high crime in a bid to win back support for his socialist "revolution," which was hurt in a poll defeat a few weeks ago.

Seemingly taking on board common criticism of his performance, Chavez said it was unacceptable that garbage was piling up uncollected in some parts of capital city Caracas, and acknowledged people were worried about crime.

"Yesterday I had to call the vice president and order an emergency meeting about the garbage situation," he said. "How is it possible that a government can't collect the trash?"

Caracas' garbage problem overflowed in December, with drifts of rotting rubbish blocking sidewalks.

Chavez also made reference to protests this week against violent crime, a issue his government has often claimed is exaggerated by the opposition.

Widespread gun ownership and inept policing contribute to Venezuela's murder rate, which is one of the world's highest.

Chavez spent much of 2007 working on political "reforms" that would have allowed him to run for re-election indefinitely and given him sweeping powers to build a socialist state.

His plan was defeated in a referendum earlier this month in part because of growing dissatisfaction among his supporters with corruption, insecurity and even shortages of products like milk in the oil-rich nation.

In an unannounced telephone call to a chat show on state television, Chavez promised things would be different in 2008.