A Spanish politician who was supposed to monitor a controversial referendum set for Sunday in Venezuela has been kicked out of the country after he referred to President Hugo Chavez as a dictator.

Venezuela's Globovision television reported that Luis Herrero, an envoy for the European parliament, was escorted to the Maiquetia airport in Caracas on Friday and put on a commercial flight by what appeared to be members of the national guard.

Herrero had been invited by opposition parties to help monitor the vote. But Tibisay Lucena, president of the national elections council, said Saturday that Herrero had been asked to leave Venezuela for making "offensive statements" regarding the council's decision to keep polling stations open two hours longer than normal.

At a news conference that aired Thursday, Herrero suggested the decision could open the way for election fraud after night falls during the vote on a proposal to lift term limits for all elected officials, including President Hugo Chavez.

The envoy also implied that Chavez was guilty of intimidation tactics and called for Venezuelans to "vote freely."

"Don't ever let fear obstruct your vote, as a dictator has premeditated," Herrero said.

In this campaign, signs supporting the "yes" vote dominate the streets of the capital.

Pro-Chavez forces have been handing out leaflets to voters listing the 10 reasons they should support the proposal to remove term limits on elected officials. Two of the reasons attempt to portray Chavez as a loving leader:

• "Because Chavez loves us, and love pays off."
• "Because Chavez loves us, therefore he's incapable of doing us any harm."

University students have once again galvanized the opposition to Chavez. Many of their requests to hold marches have been refused, while other gatherings have been met with tear gas.

Chavez has warned that a defeat in the referendum could derail his decade-long effort to bridge the gap between rich and poor.

Opponents say a Chavez win would send Venezuela on a dangerous path toward dictatorship.

With files from the Associated Press