Venezuelan President Mr Hugo Chavez resigned today under pressure from the military after street violence in which soldiers and pro-Chavez gunmen clashed with 150,000 protesters.
After the violence, in which 13 died and about 110 were wounded, army Commander Gen Efrain Vasquez Velasco ordered his subordinates - including Chavez loyalists - to join him in rebellion against Mr Chavez.
Over 40 other senior officers rebelled, including the vice minister for citizen security.
"We ask the Venezuelan people's forgiveness for today's events," Gen Velasco said. "Mr President, I was loyal to the end, but today's deaths cannot be tolerated".
Mr Chavez handed in his resignation to three generals at the presidential palace, said Col Julio Cesar Anzola.
A motorcade left the palace minutes later, apparently heading for Caracas's La Carlota military base. The developments stunned a nation that had seen one of the biggest civilian demonstrations against Mr Chavez's three-year rule.
It came only three days after Mr Chavez had vowed to crush a general strike called by Venezuela's largest business and trade union groups.
Military and civic leaders were trying to create a transitional government, said former general Guaicaipuro Lameda, until recently president of Venezuela's state oil monopoly.
"Events are still developing. I urge Venezuelans to maintain calm, to keep faith, to continue working on the road towards democracy, freedom and peace," Lameda said. "It is with sadness that to reach this point, so many people had to die, so many wounded."
Mr Lameda said Chavez's administration was condemned because it allegedly began arming "Bolivarian Circles," or citizens committees. Officers said Circle members fired at opposition protesters yesterday.
El Universalnewspaper said Mr Pedro Carmona, president of the Fedecamaras business chamber, had accepted an offer to lead a transitional government. The report could not be confirmed.
AP