Caracas - Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez said late Sunday that "Goliath won," as a constitutional reform to allow the unlimited re-election of the president was passed in a referendum.

"Goliath won, the Venezuelan state with the full power of the state won," Lopez told the television channel CNN en espanol.

Caracas - Polls closed without major incidents in Sunday's constitutional referendum in Venezuela, in which nearly 17 million citizens voted on whether to allow the unlimited re-election of the country's president.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the election was decisive for his own political future.

Caracas  - Polls opened on Sunday morning across Venezuela in a new referendum on the issue of unlimited terms for President Hugo Chavez, amid heavy security measures.

Around 17 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote in the referendum, which will decide on a change to the country's constitution that would see Chavez extend his period in office beyond the currently-mandated two terms, due to end in 2013.

A further term would see Chavez, who has been in power in Venezuela since 1999, in power until at least 2019.

The result of the poll is should be known by the early hours of Monday.

Caracas  - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday took credit for paving the way for this week's hostage releases in Colombia.

Chavez recalled that former Colombian regional legislator Sigifredo Lopez, who was released Thursday after six years in captivity, thanked him for his efforts to secure the releases.

"Venezuela ... wants peace for Colombia, wants freedom for all," Chavez said.

Caracas  - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday called upon his followers "not to get overexcited" with incoming US President Barack Obama.

"Today is particularly significant at the international level because a new president takes over the United States presidency today. Let no one get overexcited, this is the North American empire," Chavez said.

The left-wing populist Chavez, who has had strong clashes with outgoing US President George W Bush in recent years, often refers to the United States as empire.

Caracas - Venezuela's parliament has paved the way for a planned referendum on changes to the constitution that would allow President Hugo Chavez unlimited terms of office.

The National Assembly on Wednesday night approved in a second and final reading the referendum for a constitutional amendment that would allow not only Chavez, but all of Venezuela's governors, members of parliament and mayors to seek re-election over an unlimited period.

The national electoral council was due on Friday to set the date for the new referendum, which had been planned for February 15.