Presidential elections were held in Venezuela on 14 April 2013 following the death of President Hugo Chávez on 5 March 2013.Venezuela announces post-Chavez election date BBC, 9 March 2013 Nicolás Maduro—who had assumed the role of acting president since Chávez's death—was declared winner with a narrow victory over his opponent Henrique Capriles, the Governor of Miranda. Capriles had run in the previous election less than a year before, losing to Chávez by an 11-point margin. This time the margin of victory was much smaller (being 1.49%), and thus became the closest presidential election of the country since the 1968 election. This was also the last Venezuelan presidential election considered free.

Capriles did not accept the results of the elections, claiming election irregularities. Capriles initially called for an audit of the remaining 46% of votes, asserting that this would show that he had won the election. The election council agreed to carry out an audit, and planned to do so in May. Capriles later asked a full audit of the electoral registry, with validation of all fingerprints and signatures in the records. On 12 June 2013 National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that the audit had found no discrepancy with the initial results and confirmed Maduro's electoral victory.

Maduro was sworn in as the new head of state on 19 April. The Supreme Court of Justice denied Capriles' appeal on 7 August 2013.

Background Following Chávez's victory in the 2012 presidential election, he went to Cuba for cancer treatment, returning to Venezuela to stay at an army hospital for continued treatment. On and after 10 January, opponents of Chávez unsuccessfully called for presidential elections to be held after he was unable to be sworn into office due to his illness. AP, 5 March 2013 Unofficial campaigning had already begun before Chávez's death.Venezuela: Chavez very delicate with new infection Cortez Journal, 4 March 2013

Electoral process

Since 1998, elections in Venezuela have been highly automated, and administered by the National Electoral Council, with poll workers drafted via a lottery of registered voters. Polling places are equipped with multiple high-tech touch-screen DRE voting machines, one to a "mesa electoral", or voting "table". After the vote is cast, each machine prints out a paper ballot, or VVPAT, which is inspected by the voter and deposited in a ballot box belonging to the machine's table. The voting machines perform in a stand-alone fashion, disconnected from any network until the polls close.Consejo Nacional Electoral Manual Operativo para Miembros, Secretaria o Secretario de Mesa Electoral . Retrieved 28 November 2006 Voting session closure at each of the voting stations in a given polling center is determined either by the lack of further voters after the lines have emptied, or by the hour, at the discretion of the president of the voting table.

As part of the election administration the National Electoral Council planned a post-election audit of 54% of polling places, comparing the electronic records with the paper trail.

Candidates United Socialist Party Venezuela's foreign minister announced Nicolás Maduro as interim president.Venezuela's foreign minister says VP Maduro is interim president Fox News, 5 March 2013. Hugo Chávez had chosen Maduro as his successor, and Maduro became the presidential candidate for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

Democratic Unity Roundtable The opposition agreed on 2012 candidate Henrique Capriles as the candidate to run against Maduro.Venezuela opposition agrees Capriles to run for presidency-sources Reuters, 6 March 2013 Capriles announced that he accepted the nomination and would compete against Maduro.Venezuela's Capriles to run for president Al Jazeera English, 10 March 2013.

Other candidates Reina Sequera, union leader and former presidential candidate of the Workers' Power party. María Bolívar, lawyer and owner of the bakery "Mayami" in Zulia state and candidate for the United Democratic Party for Peace and Freedom (PDUPL). Eusebio Méndez, Christian pastor and candidate of New Vision for My Country (NUVIPA). Julio Mora, nominee of the Democratic Unity Party (UDEMO).

Campaign The most pressing issues were the high murder rate, particularly in the capital, the state of the economy, and land rights. The opposition accused Maduro of trying to use Chávez's memory and image to win votes.Venezuela polls overshadowed by Chavez Al Jazeera English, 9 April 2013.

The campaign was characterised by insults from both sides. Examples include Maduro calling Capriles "Prince of the Bourgeoisie" and "capricious". In the campaign, Maduro sang a rap song in which he described his opponent as "the little bourgeois shit who shits himself of fear when the people raise their voice". He also implied that Capriles was gay, referring to him being unmarried. Capriles then said he loves so many women he can not decide. He also declared that Maduro's wife was ugly and asked who wants to be with her. Starka känslor i Venezuelas valkampanj Sveriges Radio, 11 April 2013.

Diosdado Cabello, leader of the PSUV, expressed doubts about the credibility of the election, while Maduro said he was ready to accept the result.Counting begins in vital Venezuela vote - Americas - Al Jazeera English The last day of campaigning was 11 April.

On 12 April, Vice President Jorge Arreaza announced on national television that two Colombians had been arrested who had been posing as Venezuelan military officials and sought to disrupt the election. He also announced the finding of an arms cache said to be linked to Salvadoran mercenaries the government had previously accused of plotting to kill Maduro.Venezuela claims to foil 'election plot' - Americas - Al Jazeera English

Over the weekend before the election Maduro made comments in private suggesting a potential "détente" in United States–Venezuela relations. Former Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson, who was in Venezuela during the election as an Organization of American States (OAS) representative, recounted how Maduro personally told him he "want[ed] to improve the relationship with the U.S. [and] regularize the relationship."

Opinion polls PollsterDateMaduroCaprilesLeadHinterlacesFebruary 2013503614DatanálisisMarch 201349.234.814.4HinterlacesMarch 2013533518IVADMarch 201353.831.622.2DataincorpMarch 2013612635HinterlacesMarch 2013553520IVADMarch 201353.830.823.0GIS XXIMarch 201355.344.710.6IVADMarch 201353.334.718.6DatamáticaApril 201334.939.74.8DatinCorpApril 201344431HinterlacesApril 2013543717DatamáticaApril 201330.642.111.5DatanálisisApril 201354.845.19.7Results14 April 201350.649.11.5

Conduct According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), 170 foreign observers were invited to witness the election. Maduro—like his predecessor Chávez—was able to use government resources which included funds, establishments and workers to promote himself during his electoral campaigning.

Following the death of Chávez, the Maduro campaign used Hugo Chávez's cult of personality and Bolivarian propaganda to bolster electoral support. Throughout the campaign, Maduro had continued using similar anti-US rhetoric ad motifs as Chávez had in the past.

Results The results came as a surprise, as Maduro was leading by double digit figures in most opinion polls conducted two weeks before the election. Furthering the unexpected closeness of the race was that Chávez had defeated Capriles comfortably in October 2012 by a margin of more than 10%.

The voter turnout of 80% was less than one percentage point lower than in the October election.

By state States/districts won by Nicolás MaduroStates/districts won by Henrique Capriles Nicolás MaduroGPP Henrique CaprilesMUD OthersVarious Margin State total State # % # % # % # % # Capital District 651,062 51.32 611,359 48.19 6,202 0.49 39,703 3.13 1,268,623 Amazonas 38,271 52.45 34,591 47.41 93 0.14 3,680 5.04 72,955 Anzoátegui 383,125 47.32 424,685 52.45 1,775 0.23 −41,560 −5.13 809,585 Apure 142,023 61.76 87,610 38.09 326 0.15 54,413 23.67 229,959 Aragua 512,379 54.05 432,265 45.60 3,249 0.35 80,114 8.45 947,893 Barinas 214,671 52.18 196,138 47.68 531 0.14 18,533 4.50 411,340 Bolívar 351,988 47.87 381,075 51.83 2,084 0.29 −29,087 −3.96 735,147 Carabobo 610,625 50.51 595,241 49.24 2,969 0.25 15,384 1.27 1,208,635 Cojedes 108,018 61.16 68,264 38.65 318 0.19 39,754 22.51 176,600 Delta Amacuro 51,207 61.63 31,700 38.15 180 0.22 19,507 23.48 83,087 Falcón 266,239 53.03 234,747 46.76 1,033 0.22 31,492 6.27 502,019 Guárico 230,632 59.28 157,766 40.55 598 0.17 72,866 18.73 388,996 Lara 470,203 47.71 512,604 52.02 2,541 0.27 −42,401 −4.31 985,348 Mérida 202,866 42.88 269,383 56.94 791 0.18 −66,517 −14.06 473,040 Miranda 737,126 47.29 815,128 52.30 6,252 0.41 −78,002 −5.01 1,558,506 Monagas 262,547 55.46 209,833 44.33 947 0.21 52,714 11.13 473,327 Nueva Esparta 125,143 46.90 141,236 52.94 395 0.16 −16,093 −6.04 266,774 Portuguesa 303,982 65.45 159,085 34.25 1355 0.30 144,897 31.20 464,422 Sucre 269,494 57.48 198,706 42.38 619 0.14 70,788 15.10 468,619 Táchira 235,303 36.97 400,121 62.87 906 0.19 −164,818 −25.90 636,330 Trujillo 233,892 59.78 156,449 39.99 852 0.23 77,443 20.45 391,193 Vargas 118,752 57.08 88,392 42.49 882 0.43 30,360 14.59 208,026 Yaracuy 184,337 56.53 140,997 43.23 753 0.24 43,240 13.30 326,087 Zulia 878,483 47.68 960,383 52.13 3,278 0.19 −81,900 −4.45 1,842,144 Foreign 4,509 7.43 56,090 92.47 53 0.09 −51,581 −87.04 60,652 Inhospitable 702 83.97 132 15.78 2 0.23 574 68.19 836 Totals: 7,587,579 50.61 7,363,980 49.12 38,984 0.27 223,599 1.49 14,990,543

Source: National Electoral Council

Close states

Red font color denotes states won by President Maduro; blue denotes those won by Governor Capriles.

States/districts where the margin of victory was under 5%: Carabobo 1.27% Capital District 3.13% Bolívar 3.96% Lara 4.31% Zulia 4.45% Barinas 4.50%

States where margin of victory was more than 5% but less than 10%: Miranda 5.01% Amazonas 5.04% Anzoátegui 5.13% Nueva Esparta 6.04% Falcón 6.27% Aragua 8.45%

Aftermath Maduro's narrow defeat of Capriles created uncertainty behind the chavista movement on whether the Bolivarian revolution could continue without Chávez. According to critics, due to the PSUV's loss of popularity, the Bolivarian government increased political polarization and began drafting laws to make mechanisms of legal repression against the opposition to maintain power. The Maduro government, the same critics argue, then prepared the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela and colectivos to participate in intimidation tactics to prevent dissent.

Demonstrations

After the election results were announced, car horns blared and fireworks were lit by chavistas as celebrations took place in downtown Caracas.

In contrast, opposition supporters protested by banging pots and pans in the streets. After Capriles' call for the electoral commission not to officially proclaim Maduro the winner, National Guard troops and students clashed in Altamira Square. The troops used tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the students who were protesting the official results, while the students hurled chunks of concrete and stones back at the troops on a highway in Caracas.Al Jazeera, 16 April 2013, Students clash with police in Venezuela