Chavez Marks Decade in Power

Hugo Chavez declared a national holiday in Venezuela today to celebrate his 10th anniversary as the country’s president, Reuters reports. The festivities come during efforts by Chavez supporters to extend presidential term limits, and amid fears from some quarters that his increased power is evolving into dictatorship. But Chavez doesn’t enjoy the popularity he once did.

Falling oil prices have undercut the nation’s income stream, and in turn threatened the free food and healthcare handouts that have made Chavez’s government beloved by many of the country's poor. But the self-styled socialist revolutionary has withstood a lot already during his decade in office: a coup, a recall attempt, and a national strike. (More Venezuela stories.)