Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez clung to a majority in last weekend's legislative elections, but his opponents were the quiet winner on Sunday, securing enough votes to block Chavez's federal appointments and theoretically prevent him from passing legislation. Chavez's United Socialist Party nabbed 90 of the 165 assembly seats, while the opposition Democratic Unity coalition won 60, with the remaining seats going to smaller parties. Opposition leaders complained that the coalition had actually won 52 percent of the popular vote, but that gerrymandering prevented this from translating into seats. In a Twitter message to supporters, Chavez was upbeat about the results. "Well my dear compatriots, it's been a great election day and we've obtained a solid victory; enough to continue deepening the Bolivarian and Democratic Socialism," Chavez wrote. "We need to continue strengthening the revolution!"  With the next presidential election two years away, Sunday's election was "a crucial plebiscite" on Chavez's government," the New York Times says. The president has been in power for 12 years, and despite a recent dip in approval ratings, still enjoys popular—although maybe not majority—support.