He still might. It's quite close.

EDIT: To be honest, I'm more worried about Putin. 

I really don't see what good Chavez has done, he just gives loose change to venezuelans while a lot of our money goes to other countries when it could go to education and big hospitals, he hasn't done anything on security and he doesn't attract companies to invest in Venezuela, he wants to own everything, if you want a job in Venezuela you can do one of two things: work for the government or be an informal worker selling pirate DVDs on the street.

Say hello to a whole new Castro!

I think the likelihood that he rigged the election is very high as well. 

Here's some things he's done in regards to the impoverished majority that might suggest why he still has popular support . Thanks Wiki!

Chávez was sworn in as president on February 2, 1999. Among his first acts was the launching of Plan Bolivar 2000, which included road building, housing construction, and mass vaccination.[25] Chávez also halted planned privatizations of, among others, the national social security system, aluminum industry holdings, and the oil sector.[26] Chávez also overhauled the formerly lax tax collection and auditing system—especially regarding major corporations and landholders.

In 2003 and 2004 Chávez launched a number of social and economic campaigns as he struggled to maintain popular support:

Mission Robinson
Launched July 2003, Mission Robinson was billed as a campaign aimed at providing free reading, writing and arithmetic lessons to the more than 1.5 million Venezuelan adults who were illiterate prior to his 1999 election.

Mission Guaicaipuro
Initiated October 12, 2003, Mission Guaicaipuro sought to protect the livelihood, religion, land, culture, and rights of Venezuela's indigenous peoples.

Mission Sucre
Launched late 2003, Mission Sucre had the stated intent of providing free higher education to the two million adult Venezuelans who had not completed their elementary-level education.

Mission Ribas
Announced in November 2003, Mission Ribas bore the promise of providing remedial education and diplomas for Venezuela's five million high school dropouts.


Of course, the downside has been a dramatic increase in inflation, which is probably why this referendum includes giving him control of the central bank. Once again, I should state that I hope he doesn't win this referendum.

 I'm not sure about this referendum, but in the past, Elections and referendums have been overseen by international observers (including Jimmy Carter's organization). I'm sure that Chavez supporters were out and about trying to intimidate people, but There hasn't been anything to suggest that the government is or has been involved in any electoral fraud over the course of Chavez's presidency.

 Im worried about Putin too, but at least he has promised he is stepping down as president. He will probably try to control the government from the post of Prime Minister but I'm not sure he will be able to as the Presidential post is by far the most powerful in Russia.

Do you really believe all of this? really? I live here in Venezuela and I can tell you his ideas are good but are not well implemented, he's a talk but not act politician.

"Chávez was sworn in as president on February 2, 1999. Among his first acts was the launching of Plan Bolivar 2000, which included road building, housing construction, and mass vaccination.[25] Chávez also halted planned privatizations of, among others, the national social security system, aluminum industry holdings, and the oil sector.[26] Chávez also overhauled the formerly lax tax collection and auditing system—especially regarding major corporations and landholders."

This is wrong, he hasn't build roads, all roads in venezuela are full of holes!!

Venezuela has at least a one million home deficit!

The aluminium industry holdings is owned by Ternium of Argentina.

One thing he has done very good is the tax collection, but we venezuelans don't see that moneygetting a good use.

Mission Robinson
Launched July 2003, Mission Robinson was billed as a campaign aimed at providing free reading, writing and arithmetic lessons to the more than 1.5 million Venezuelan adults who were illiterate prior to his 1999 election.

Great idea and it was implemented in a good way, but the numbers are wrong, studies have proved that the number of persons that were teached how to read and write isn't even a million.

Mission Guaicaipuro
Initiated October 12, 2003, Mission Guaicaipuro sought to protect the livelihood, religion, land, culture, and rights of Venezuela's indigenous peoples.

I don't know if it succeeded or not, but it is another great idea.

Mission Sucre
Launched late 2003, Mission Sucre had the stated intent of providing free higher education to the two million adult Venezuelans who had not completed their elementary-level education.

Mission Ribas
Announced in November 2003, Mission Ribas bore the promise of providing remedial education and diplomas for Venezuela's five million high school dropouts.

Hahahaha total BS, people were only taught about che guevara and fidel castro, there are some real classes but people wasn't interested really, they attended just because the got payed a few bolivares (venezuelan money) to attend, I know a person that went to one of those courses and told me that people were only interested in the money and the classes weren't good.

I don't want to sound anti Chavez, I'm just pointing out that almost all he does are populist acts to make people depend on him, he gives fish but he doesn't teach how to fish. And I'm not deffendig past governments, all of them took wrong politics and made this country what it is right now, but we need to have at least democratic laws that gives us different presidents every now and then so at least we have the opportunity to get a good one someday.

I'm not trying to be a cheerleader for the guy. As I've said I have mixed feelings, but people in the U.S. seem to view him as a ruthless dictator, and actual facts seem to get set asside when discussing this controversial figure.

As for those programs. They are actual programs that were launched, so yes I believe them. But that's different than commenting on how effective it has been. But it's pretty clear that million's of Poor Venezuelans have been exposed to education, medical and social programs that they would not have been otherwise.

He's turned people that probably don't normally vote into enthusiastic supporters, which is why he's been able to do what he's done so far entirely democratically. Of course, this referendum would give him the power to not need that support... Like I said, I hope he loses it.

I know that I would love the guy if I didn't live in Venezuela. And yeah a lot of people has been exposed to education and has been encouraged to vote on the elections. But I think his intentions are not good at all, I want a progressist government, one that gives everyone equal opportunities for education, healthcare and security. But one can only dream...
Your have a good point stof, it's just that living here is really frustrating, you have to agree with the government or you won't be taken in consideration, so it is really a dictatorship, and it will only get worse because that's what history has teached us.
I agree with Chavez with some points, like his stand against Bush and the war on Irak, but I think he's also a bad president.

I know that Michael Moore exaggerates a lot in his movies but I just want to show a glimpse of how a great country would be for me:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xJ0B2xDzSgg