Key Events In Venezuelan Chavez`s Decade In Power

On the downside the spending lays the groundwork for galloping inflation that by 2008 tops 30 percent and is a major economic worry.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday won a referendum lifting a two-term constitutional limit on presidential office.

The socialist leader this month celebrated his 10th year in office since taking power in 1999, and has promised to rule for at least another decade. The following is a timeline of key events that have marked his presidency:

1998 - Chavez wins presidential elections with broad popular support by campaigning as an outsider on promises of a revolution for the poor and a break from the OPEC nation's discredited political parties. He uses a groundswell of support to pass a new constitution in 1999 that boosts executive power.

2002-2003 - Following months of opposition protests, Chavez survives a bungled opposition coup and a grueling two-month national strike that nearly shutters the vital oil industry. The events fracture an already weak opposition and give Chavez control over the state oil company at the start of an unprecedented commodities boom.

2003 - The leftist leader begins a massive social spending campaign, dubbed "social missions," that offer education, healthcare and low-cost food to the poor majority. The efforts vastly boost Chavez's popularity and prove a key factor in his 2004 defeat of an opposition-led recall referendum.

2004-2006 - Chavez heavily spends oil income fueling years of economic growth that help him further weaken the opposition and boost his support among the middle class -- leading to a victory with 65 percent of the vote in 2006 presidential elections.

On the downside the spending lays the groundwork for galloping inflation that by 2008 tops 30 percent and is a major economic worry.

2007 - In a dramatic move that delights supporters and spooks investors, Chavez announces nationalizations in the electricity and telecom sectors. But he quickly strikes amicable deals with U.S. companies such as Verizon and AES Corp that financial analysts described as fair.

2007 - Strict price controls and booming demand lead to nagging shortages of staple foods such as milk and meat, hurting Chavez's popularity and helping the opposition defeat a referendum on overhauling the constitution to boost his power and stay in office as long as he wins elections. It is his first-ever electoral defeat.

2009 - Venezuelans vote in favor of lifting presidential term limits by a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent, paving the way for Chavez to run for president again in 2012 and beyond.