Chavez wins third election

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been re-elected to serve a new six-year term.

Chavez, who has been president since 1999, defeated Henrique Capriles Radonski an energetic challenger backed by an opposition coalition.

Capriles’ campaign criticised the Chavez administration for inefficiencies, infrastructure shortcomings and corruption.

Chavez had acknowledged that he needed to do more on crime and government bureaucracy.

However, he boasted of his achievements in housing, education and health.

According to the National Electoral Council, with 90 per cent of the ballots counted last night, Chavez had 54.42 per cent of the vote compared with 44.97 per cent for Capriles.

Chavez had secured 7.4 million votes and Capriles 6.1 million in one of Venezuela’s highest voter participation rates in decades, with almost an 81 per cent turnout.

radio@gleanerjm.com