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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Venezuela to hold election on April 14 |
| 2013-03-10 |
| Venezuela will hold a presidential election on April 14, as acting president Nicolas Maduro tries to benefit from an emotional outpouring for his late mentor, Hugo Chavez, and win his own term in office. Mr Maduro, a physically imposing former union leader who served as foreign minister and vice-president under Chavez, has vowed to keep Chavez's self-styled socialist revolution alive. Venezuela's main opposition coalition has picked Miranda state governor Henrique Capriles as a unity candidate to run against Mr Maduro. Tibisay Lucena, the head of the country's electoral commission, said the candidates would have to register for the race by Monday. Opinion polls have shown Mr Maduro as the likely winner, but Chavez's opponents say they want a chance to end "Chavismo" at the voting booth. Mr Maduro was sworn in as acting president in congress on Friday and handed the red, yellow and blue presidential sash. "I asked (the election authority) to comply with legal and constitutional obligations and immediately call elections," Mr Maduro, 50, told congress as he cemented his position as heir-in-waiting. The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that Mr Maduro did not need to step down in order to campaign, but the move was denounced by opponents as a violation of the constitution and a "fraud". |
| Posted by:Steve White |