大象传媒

After several hours of counting, the head of the country's electoral commission, Tivose Lucena confirmed on national television what many in the yes camp had been saying throughout this campaign.They had won with a clear majority. With 95% of the votes in, 54.3% had supported the measure to grant Mr Chavez the right to stand again for office at the end of his current term.

This was the kind of strong confirmation of his socialist agenda which Mr Chavez had been seeking. The opposition had hoped to build on its recent electoral successes, first in a similar vote in 2007 and then in local elections. But it is the socialist revolution led by Hugo Chavez which has been given a jolt in the arm by this result and the president's supporters are ecstatic.

Mr Chavez now faces the daunting task of grappling with the global economic crisis in a country dependent on exports of oil. In the past he has described Venezuela's economy as insulated from a drop in the oil price but few economists share his optimism.

The country's inflation is the highest in Latin America and there are serious domestic problems such as violent crime which he will need to tackle over the next four years if he is to ensure he can repeat this result in the presidential elections of 2012.

Will Grant, 大象传媒 News, Caracas