President Hugo Chavez

Early Days:

Responding to the stalling of his legislation in the National Assembly, Chávez scheduled two national elections for July 1999, including a referendum for and elections to fill a new constitutional assembly. The Constitutional Assembly was created when the referendum passed with a 72% "yes" vote, while the pro-Chávez Polo Patriotico ("Patriotic Pole") won 95% (120 out of the total 131) of its seats.

In August 1999, the Constitutional Assembly's "Judicial Emergency Committee" declared a "legislative emergency" whereby a seven-member committee conducted the National Assembly's functions; meanwhile, the National Assembly was prohibited from holding meetings. The Constitutional Assembly drafted the 1999 Venezuelan Constitution, which included an increase in the presidential term from five to six years, a new presidential two-term limit, a new provision for presidential recall elections, renaming of the country to República Bolivariana de Venezuela, expanded presidential powers, conversion of the bicameral National Assembly into a unicameral legislature, merit-based appointments of judges, and creation of the Public Defender, an office authorized to regulate the activities of the presidency and the National Assembly. The new constitution was approved in December of 1999.Wikipedia

Chavez Venezuela

Theodora

VCrisis

Wikipedia

Venezuela Government

Infoplease

Belfast Telegraph

Venezuela government and freedom of expression

2002 Events:

On 2002, Chávez backed the passage of the "Enabling Act" by the National Assembly. This act allowed Chávez to rule by decree for one year. In November 2001, shortly before the Enabling Act was set to expire, Chávez enacted a set of 49 decrees. These included the Hydrocarbons Law and the Land Law. The national business federation (FEDECAMARAS), and the federation of labor unions (CTV), opposed the approval of these new decrees and called for a general business strike on December 2001. On April 2002, hundreds of thousands took to the streets and marched towards the headquarters of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), in defense of its recently-fired management. The rally end near the Venezuela government presidential palace, where Chavez's supporters and some snippers shot the rally, killing various civilians. This, consequently, provoked the resignation of Hugo Chavez, just for a couple of days when soldiers loyal to him retook the presidential palace, and retrieved Chávez into power.

After all these violent events, Venezuela government of Hugo Chavez has been focused on hardening his political points, He now call his "revolution" the "Socialism of 21st Century" with many rules for social and economic deep transformations.

Today:

On January 2007, President Hugo Chavez sworn to another term. Chavez announced the setting-up of a Socialist Venezuela Government and sentenced the phrase "Patría, Socialismo o Muerte... Venceremos!" (Homeland, Socialism or Death... We'll Conquer!). This phrase is used now, in obliged way, into military forces that now have the name of "Bolivarian Army Forces".

On August 15, 2007 President Hugo Chavez presented at National Assembly his propose of National Constitution Reform (made only by himself). He proposed new changes on Venezuela territorial division, creating the Marine Territory figure, the creation of special zones controlled by army forces, the indefinitely re-election of the President, and the creation of "Popular Bolivarian Militias". He said Venezuela government has been preparing for a "Guerrilla Warfare" against US.

A news report about this can be found in Belfast Telegraph site.