Chavez Heir Maduro: We Had a Fair Electoral Triumph

Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro declared victory on Sunday in the race to succeed late leader Hugo Chavez after the electoral council announced that he had won in a close battle.

"Today we can say that we had a fair electoral triumph," Maduro said after the council said he had won 50.66 percent of the vote as compared to 49.06 percent for opposition rival Henrique Capriles.

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

"This victory is another tribute to our comandante Hugo Chavez," the 50-year-old Maduro said in front of cheering supporters at the Miraflores presidential palace.

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

Hundreds of Chavistas began to celebrate in front of the Miraflores 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, 29.

Before the results were disclosed, Capriles warned on Twitter that there was an "intention to change the choice expressed by the people." He did not immediately react to the official results announced by the electoral council.

The 40-year-old opposition leader charged that there were attempts to let people vote after polling stations closed. Earlier, he accused the government of pressuring civil servants to vote for Maduro.

Maduro campaign manager Jorge Rodriguez called the tweet "a provocation" while Vice President Jorge Arreaza -- Chavez's son-in-law -- warned Capriles to be "very careful."

Both candidates had pledged during the campaign to recognize the vote results.

But Capriles refused early Monday to recognize Maduro's election victory.

"Today's loser is you," he told a news conference, referring to Maduro, adding: "We won't recognize a result until every vote has been counted."