- Venezuela celebrates "National Democracy Day" Sunday
- Critics of the country's current government plan marches declaring it a "dictatorship"
- A lawmaker from Chavez's party says the people are participating in Venezuela's government
(CNN) -- Opponents and supporters of Venezuela's current government have planned marches on Sunday -- the anniversary of a popular revolt that overthrew dicator Marcos Perez in 1958.
In Venezuela, marches were scheduled to commemorate "National Democracy Day," the state-run AVN news agency reported.
"On this day we honor the force of the people and their determination to defend national sovereignty, democracy and popular participation. ... Now in our democracy we are living this participation of the people," Dario Vias, a Venezuelan lawmaker from President Hugo Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela, told state-run VTV.
Critics of Chavez's government also planned marches in at least 20 cities around the world to declare that "the current Venezuelan regime is a dictatorship both legally and politically," according to organizer Un Mundo Sin Mordaza.
Opponents of Chavez have sharply criticized last month's decision by Venezuela's lame-duck National Assembly granting him the power to pass laws by decree for 18 months.
Critics say the president sought the power in order to push his agenda through the legislative body after elections in September weakened the ruling party's hold on power.
But Chavez has said he was seeking the powers in order to be able to respond to flooding that left thousands of people homeless.
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