Nicolas Maduro Elected Venezuela President

Venezuelan electoral officials say voters have narrowly elected Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor as president in a close battle.

Winner Nicolas Maduro campaigned on a promise to carry on Mr Chavez's self-styled socialist revolution, and defeated a two-time challenger who claimed the late president's regime has put Venezuela on the road to ruin.

Officials say Mr Maduro, former acting president, defeated Henrique Capriles by just 300,000 votes. The margin was 50.8% to 49.1%.

Speaking from Caracas, Venezuelan journalist Virginia Lopez told Sky News: "I think this has caught the whole country by a surprise.

"We got used to Chavez winning by handsome margins so to have an election won on a matter of 300,000 votes is quite incredible."

Addressing a crowd from the presidential palace, Mr Maduro called his victory further proof that Mr Chavez "continues to be invincible, that he continues to win battles".

He said that Mr Capriles had called him before the results were announced to suggest a "pact" and that Mr Maduro refused.

There was no immediate word from Capriles.

Turnout was 78%, down from just over 80% in the October election that Mr Chavez won by a nearly 11-point margin.

National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena told a news conference: "These are the irreversible results that the people have decided."

Hugo Chavez had named Mr Maduro as his political heir

Mr Maduro, a longtime foreign minister to Mr Chavez, 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.

Mr Maduro has vowed to continue the oil-funded policies that cut poverty by almost half to 29% through popular health, education and food programmes.

But he also inherits a litany of problems left behind by his mentor: South America's highest murder rate, with 16,000 people killed last year, chronic food shortages, high inflation and recurring power outages.

Opinion polls had given Mr Maduro leads of 10 to 20 points during the campaign, but Mr Capriles - who lost to Mr Chavez by 11 points in October polls - energised the opposition in his second shot at the presidency.

Hundreds of people began to celebrate in front of the Miraflores presidential palace well before the results were announced, launching fireworks, dancing and holding pictures of Mr Maduro and Mr 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 voter Rafael Perez Camarero.

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