The National Assembly (AN) is to investigate if a cartoon published recently in evening newspaper El Mundo is a subliminal message or an upfront order to kill Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, deputy Calixto Ortega said.

The legislature will discuss the matter Thursday and "quite probably" will ask for justice, Ortega told reporters, as quoted by Efe.

Last Friday, El Mundo published a cartoon where a woman listed during a telephone call a number of kidnappings, killings, and other crimes that have stricken the nation. "This is a violent president," the woman added, allegedly holding Chávez responsible for the insecurity surge. "What is the solution?," the listener asked. "To kill him," answered the woman.

"We cannot disregard this. This is not humor, and we will not allow for trivialization, because we are certain that there is a plot to kill the ruler," the parliamentarian said.