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The contested result plunged the deeply divided oil-rich South American country into uncertainty, with the handpicked heir of Chavez’s socialist revolution declaring victory and opposition leader Henrique Capriles demanding a recount.
Fireworks erupted after the National Electoral Council announced that the “irreversible” results showed Maduro had won with just 50.66 percent of the vote compared to 49.1 percent for Capriles — a difference of less than 300 000 votes.
“Mission accomplished Comandante Chavez.
“The people fulfilled its pledge,” Maduro said in front of cheering supporters at the Miraflores presidential palace.
The 50-year-old former foreign minister declared that he secured a “fair, legal, constitutional” victory.
But he said he was open to an audit of the close vote tally.
He is scheduled to be sworn-in to complete Chavez’s six-year term on Friday.
Maduro said he spoke with Capriles by telephone and that he told his rival he must recognise the outcome of the election. Both candidates had pledged during the campaign to accept the results.
But Capriles — who had accepted defeat when Chavez beat him by 11 points in October polls — held up a list of some 3 200 “incidents” that took place during the vote.
“Today’s loser is you,” he told a news conference, referring to Maduro, adding: “We won’t recognise a result until every vote has been counted.”
The 40-year-old state governor wants a recount of the backup paper ballots that are printed out by the electronic voting machines.
Hours earlier, Capriles charged that there were attempts to let people vote after polling stations closed.
He also accused the government of pressuring civil servants to vote for Maduro.
But some of the Venezuelan government’s key international allies have already congratulated Maduro on his victory and urged respect for the officially announced results.
“Latin America is a continent that is freeing itself on the basis of elections,” said Bolivian President Evo Morales.
“Latin America is winning on the basis of the conscience of its people, and election results are respected here.”
Argentine President Cristina Kirchner congratulated Maduro, calling him “the new president”.
The Ecuadoran counterpart, Rafael Correa, hailed the electoral success of “Maduro, Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Revolution” in a Twitter message he posted soon after the results were announced.
In a congratulatory message published in the newspaper Granma, Cuban President Raul Castro yesterday said that Maduro’s victory “shows the strength of the ideas and work of Commandante Hugo Chavez.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Maduro.
He expressed confidence that the two countries’ close relationship would strengthen.
Named by Chavez as his political heir, Maduro rode a wave of grief for the late leader, who ruled Venezuela for 14 years with a socialist revolution that made him popular among the poor while disenchanting others fed up with the weak economy.
Opinion polls had given Maduro leads of 10 to 20 points during the campaign, but Capriles energised the opposition in his second shot at the presidency after 14 years under Chavez.
Maduro has vowed to continue the oil-funded policies that cut poverty by almost half to 29 percent through popular health, education and food programs.
Hundreds of Chavistas began to celebrate in front of the presidential palace well before the results were announced, launching fireworks, dancing and holding pictures of Maduro and Chavez.
“This is a very important victory for the future of the country. This is the legacy of our comandante, who is no longer here.
“But he left us Maduro and he will defend his project,” said Rafael Perez Camarero aged 29.
Capriles had graciously accepted his defeat when Chavez beat him in October polls that marked the opposition’s best showing against the late leader.
Sunday’s result against Chavez’s hand-picked heir was far closer.
Maduro inherited Chavez’s formidable electoral machinery, which helped the late leader win successive elections in 14 years, with government employees often seen handing campaign pamphlets and attending rallies in groups.
After voting in Caracas earlier in the day, Maduro warned there would be no dialogue with the “bourgeoisie” — his term for the opposition. — AFP.
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