Chavez Loses Constitutional Referendum, Will Be Out of Office in 2012

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has just publicly conceded today's constitutional referendum, which among other things would have ended term limits for president and allowed him to run for re-election in 2012.

Credit for the defeat is going in large part to a student-led opposition effort which staged a large demonstration Thursday night, along with food shortages in the capital and discontent over Chavez's level of control over the legislative National Assembly and the Venezuelan Supreme Court.

The results are expected to be a relief to the Bush administration, which has made no secret of its displeasure with Chavez's stance on the U.S. Relations have been particularly strained between the two countries since the Observer reported that they tied a 2002 coup attempt that deposed President Chavez for a short period to Bush administration officials, a revelation made more uncomfortable by Bush's rapid endorsement of the junta's leadership during Chavez's brief removal from power and later documents indicating that the CIA may have been involved in the attempt.