CARACAS – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez on Sunday ordered the military to take over the ports of Maracaibo and Puerto Cabello in the face of resistance by regional authorities and transfer their management to the central government.

The leftist populist president ordered the navy over the next week to take over both ports, located in the states of Zulia and Carabobo, in compliance with the reforms set forth in the Decentralization Law approved last Thursday by the National Assembly.

The western state of Zulia is governed by Pablo Perez, of the opposition Un Nuevo Tiempo, or UNT, party while at the helm of the north-central state of Carabobo is Enrique Salas, of the opposition party Proyecto Venezuela.

After the approval of the reforms, both governors told reporters that they would try to “defend” their powers to manage the port installations.

“What’s happening with these governors? Can it be that they think that something’s going to happen here like the dismemberment of the country? Get your bearings!” said Chávez during his regular Sunday radio and television program “Alo Presidente!”

“Here there are laws and those laws are followed, although you can squeal, throw yourselves on the ground, go to the OAS or the White House to ask for help,” said Chávez, referring to the Organization of American States.

The Venezuelan leader also said that if the governors refuse to abide by the law they could be imprisoned like any other person who violates or refuses to comply with the legal code.

“No Venezuelan can declare himself to be above the law. The law was approved and it’s to be obeyed, and the government is obligated to see that it’s obeyed,” Chávez said.

The reform law allows the central government to retake control of the country’s ports, airports and communications media if it feels that would be in the national interest.

Chávez said that one of the reasons why the government had decided to assume control of the ports of Maracaibo and Puerto Cabello is because there “mafias have become entrenched” that are linked to “smuggling, drug trafficking and corruption.”

“The country’s ports are returning to the country, the country’s airports are returning to the country,” Chávez said.