Venezuelans elect pro-Chavez candidates
Venezuelans elect pro-Chavez candidates
Associated Press
Updated 11:27 pm, Sunday, December 16, 2012
Caracas, Venezuela --
President Hugo Chavez's allies won a sweeping victory in Venezuela's gubernatorial elections Sunday, capturing a large majority of states and showing their party still has muscle even as cancer has put the socialist leader's future in question.
The ruling party won at least 20 of 23 states, according to results announced by electoral council. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles held on for a re-election win in Miranda state, one of three opposition candidates declared winners. Capriles beat Elias Jaua, Chavez's former vice president.
Capriles lost to Chavez in the country's October election, and his re-election Sunday will allow him to cement his position as Venezuela's dominant opposition leader. But the loss of ground by the opposition also raises tough questions for government adversaries as they prepare for the possibility of new presidential elections if cancer cuts short Chavez's tenure.
Going into the vote, the opposition had held the governorships in eight states, and it lost in five of those states, according to the results announced by National Electoral Council President Tibisay Lucena.
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