CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo  Chavez had promised a four-day marathon edition of his widely  watched weekly television talkshow, but unspecified technical  problems threw the plans awry this weekend.

In a three-line statement, the information ministry said  yesterday’s ‘Alo Presidente’ programme had been cancelled for  technical reasons. Saturday’s show was called off without  explanation.

To mark its 10 years on air, Chavez last week announced an  extended edition of the programme he frequently uses to criticize  the United States and announce major policies like  nationalizations in South America’s top oil exporter. He  planned to do one or two hour-long broadcasts a day.

The leftist began  on Thursday, speaking for about eight  hours in two instalments and threatening to punish a critical  private TV station.

He also chatted to teens about sex education, talked about  problems with his weight and called his friend and mentor,  Cuba’s former leader Fidel Castro, “Our father who art in  Havana.”

The next day he challenged a group of right-wing  intellectuals, including Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, to  debate ideas on Saturday’s show, but the broadcast never  materialized.

A member of the president’s press team said they had waited  on the show’s set until late afternoon without learning why it  had been pulled.

Chavez was expected to transmit yesterday’s show in the  company of Bolivian President Evo Morales, before he travels to  El Salvador for the inauguration of its new left-wing  president, Mauricio Funes.