Backgrounder: Major events in Venezuela's political turmoil

More than two years after the failed 2002 coup, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday will finally face a recall referendum that could ouster him or keep himin office until the 2006 elections.

Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and reelected to a six-year term in 2000, has experienced two general strikes, a 48-hour military coup in April 2002 and a strike at the beginning of last year.

If the opposition succeeds, a new election would be held within30 days and the winner would serve out Chavez's term, which ends in January 2007.

The following is a chronology of major events in Venezuela's political turmoil since the 2002 coup.

failed coup attempt

April 11, 2002: Half a million people march through the capital Caracas to protest against Chavez's policies and 19 people are killed by unidentified snipers. Venezuelan military officers, blaming Chavez for the deaths, stage a coup and force Chavez to resign.

April 12: Pedro Carmona, leader of Venezuela's most prominent business group Fedecamaras, is sworn in as the interim president. Carmona dissolves the constitution, closes the National Assembly and fires all members of the Supreme Court, promising general elections within one year.

April 13.: Pro-Chavez crowds, dominated by poor residents of Caracas' slums, march on the presidential palace to demand his return. Interim President Pedro Carmona resigns.

April 14.: Chavez returns in triumph to the presidential palace.

Two-month general strike

Dec. 2, 2002: An unprecedented general strike erupts after the opposition, headed by Venezuela's prominent businessmen and trade union leaders, demand that Chavez resign or early elections be held to vote him out of office.

The 63-day-long nationwide strike, which ends on Feb. 3, 2003, paralyzes the oil industry of the world's fifth largest oil exporter, with oil production falling from 2.8 million barrels perday (bpd) to 200,000 bpd and more than 7 billion US dollars in economic losses.

Several people are killed and dozens injured during clashes between Venezuelan National Guard troops and protesters during thecrisis.

Row over valid signatures needed to trigger recall referendum

Dec. 19, 2003: The Venezuelan opposition delivers to the National Electoral Council (CNE) 3.4 million signatures collected since November 2003, requesting Chavez's resignation.

Feb. 27, 2004: The CNE rules that the opposition petition for arecall referendum against Chavez lacks valid signatures.

Feb. 27 - March 6, 2004: Following the CNE ruling, more than 500,000 people take to the streets to demand that electoral authorities accept their petition for a recall referendum against Chavez.

At least 10 people are killed, 380 arrested and more than 1,000 wounded during the week-long demonstration waves.

March 2: The CNE validates only 1.8 million signatures, short of the 2.4 million required by law to trigger a recall vote, and requests reconfirmation of more than 800,000 signatures, as many of them share similar handwriting.

March 6: An estimated 200,000 people launch a march in the capital Caracas, voicing discontent with Chavez's rule.

March 15: The Supreme Court's Electoral Chamber rules that signatures on recall petitions need not be validated, overturning the CNE's decision for signature verification.

March 23: The Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber reverses the Electoral Chamber's decision by invalidating the more than 800,000 signatures for a recall referendum against Chavez.

April 21: The CNE and the opposition finally agree on the signature checks at the end of May after bitter legal battles between Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber and Electoral Chamber.

May 28-30: A decisive three-day signature verification process is held to decide whether a referendum will be held to remove Chavez from office.

June 3: Chavez says he will accept referendum on his rule as data show the opposition has verified enough votes needed.

June 8: The CNE officially announces that the opposition has collected 2.5 million signatures against Chavez, more than the 2.4 million required to call a recall vote. The referendum day is set for Aug. 15.

Source: Xinhua