CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelans voted to choose state governors and mayors Sunday in elections that could either hand President Hugo Chavez his second straight electoral setback or give his leftist government a new mandate. He faced an emboldened opposition aiming to break his dominance and win back power in key states and cities.
"We're prepared to recognize any result," Chavez said after voting in Caracas.
| Oh sure, we can see that ... |
The vote could force Chavez to deal with more hostile opponents at the local level, or help him lay the groundwork to extend his rule beyond 2013, when his six-year term ends.
Chavez said the elections--held one year after voters defeated his attempt to abolish term limits--could decide "the future of the revolution, the future of socialism and also the future of Hugo Chavez."
Candidates included Chavez's brother, Adan, who was trying to succeed their father as governor of Barinas state, and the president's ex-wife, Marisabel Rodriguez, running as an opposition mayoral candidate in one district of Barquisimeto.
| Maybe she knows something we don't ... |
After a decade in office, Chavez still enjoys solid popularity and has maintained control of most local posts. But last year's defeat energized the opposition, which has also sought to capitalize on complaints about rampant crime, corruption and inflation. |