CARACAS, April 12 (News Agencies) – Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, has resigned following anti-government protests in which at least 11 people were killed.

"The president was asked to resign from his post and he accepted," armed forces chief, General Lucar Rincon, said, quoted by BBC’s online news service.

"I want to call on the glorious Venezuelan people to stay calm and to the army to set an example of civility, rejecting any incitement to violence. Keep faith in your national armed forces," the general said.

Chavez had been in talks with army generals at the Miraflores presidential palace after a succession of military officers blamed him for the latest violence in the country and withdrew their support for him.

It was not clear who would succeed Chavez, although General Rincon said the military high command would "put their positions at the order of the country's new authorities".

Senior officers have said they are setting up a parallel high command, while the head of the National Guard has proposed the immediate formation of a provisional government.

Venezuelan radio reported that Chavez had been seen being driven away from the presidential palace to the Fuerte Tiuna military barracks.

There are already noisy celebrations on the streets, with crowds gathering at La Carlota airport in Caracas hoping to see Chavez depart, BBC’s correspondent in Caracas said.

Armored cars surrounded the Miraflores palace and military headquarters.

More than 150,000 people had marched on the presidential palace on Thursday, April 11, demanding Chavez's resignation a day after Venezuela's largest labor and business confederations said they would continue a 48-hour general strike indefinitely.

At least 11 people were killed and 80 wounded when the protesters came under fire from pro-Chevez factions.

The opposition rally had been called in support of striking managers at the state oil company, who said Chavez had tried to take it over by filling the board with his supporters, said BBC.

The oil strike was seriously affecting exports and fuel supplies in Venezuela. The country is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter.

Guaicaipuro Lameda - a former army general and until recently president of Venezuela's state oil monopoly - said Chavez's administration had been condemned because it began arming citizens' committees.

He said it was these armed groups that had fired at opposition protesters.

"The president was misinforming Venezuelans and abusing power," he said, according to BBC.

"Events are still developing. I urge Venezuelans to maintain calm, to keep faith, to continue working on the road toward democracy, freedom and peace," he added.