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| Venezuela sets date for presidential election | Venezuela sets date for presidential election |
| (8 days later) | |
| Venezuelans will vote on 14 April to choose a successor to Hugo Chávez, the elections commission announced on Saturday as political rhetoric in the country becomes increasingly strident. | Venezuelans will vote on 14 April to choose a successor to Hugo Chávez, the elections commission announced on Saturday as political rhetoric in the country becomes increasingly strident. |
| The constitution mandates that the election be held within 30 days of Chávez's death on 5 March, but the date picked falls outside that period. Critics of the socialist government have already complained that officials have violated the constitution by swearing in vice-president Nicolás Maduro as acting leader on Friday night. | The constitution mandates that the election be held within 30 days of Chávez's death on 5 March, but the date picked falls outside that period. Critics of the socialist government have already complained that officials have violated the constitution by swearing in vice-president Nicolás Maduro as acting leader on Friday night. |
| Some people have speculated that Venezuela will not be ready to organise the vote in time, but elections council chief Tibisay Lucena said the country's electronic voting system was fully prepared. | Some people have speculated that Venezuela will not be ready to organise the vote in time, but elections council chief Tibisay Lucena said the country's electronic voting system was fully prepared. |
| Lucena announced the date on state television, appearing in a small inset as the main picture showed people filing past Chávez's coffin at the military academy in Caracas, where his body has lain in state since Wednesday. | Lucena announced the date on state television, appearing in a small inset as the main picture showed people filing past Chávez's coffin at the military academy in Caracas, where his body has lain in state since Wednesday. |
| Chávez's boisterous, passionate state funeral on Friday often felt like a political rally for his anointed successor, Maduro, who eulogised him by pledging eternal loyalty and vowing Chávez's movement will never be defeated. Maduro is expected to become the candidate of Chávez's socialist party. | Chávez's boisterous, passionate state funeral on Friday often felt like a political rally for his anointed successor, Maduro, who eulogised him by pledging eternal loyalty and vowing Chávez's movement will never be defeated. Maduro is expected to become the candidate of Chávez's socialist party. |
| Ramón Guillermo Aveledo, coordinator of the opposition coalition, immediately followed the election announcement by offering his bloc's presidential candidacy to Henrique Capriles, the governor of Miranda state who lost to Chávez in October. | Ramón Guillermo Aveledo, coordinator of the opposition coalition, immediately followed the election announcement by offering his bloc's presidential candidacy to Henrique Capriles, the governor of Miranda state who lost to Chávez in October. |
| Mariana Bacalao, a professor of public opinion at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, said the passion on both sides just hours after Chávez's funeral raised fears of far worse to come in the weeks ahead. | Mariana Bacalao, a professor of public opinion at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, said the passion on both sides just hours after Chávez's funeral raised fears of far worse to come in the weeks ahead. |
| "You can expect during the campaign that these rages will be unleashed," she said. | "You can expect during the campaign that these rages will be unleashed," she said. |
| In his speech after his swearing-in, Maduro took shots at the United States, the media, international capitalism and domestic opponents he often depicted as treacherous. He claimed the allegiance of Venezuela's army, referring to them as the "armed forces of Chávez," despite the constitution barring the military from taking sides in politics. | In his speech after his swearing-in, Maduro took shots at the United States, the media, international capitalism and domestic opponents he often depicted as treacherous. He claimed the allegiance of Venezuela's army, referring to them as the "armed forces of Chávez," despite the constitution barring the military from taking sides in politics. |
| The opposition has denounced the transition as an unconstitutional power grab, and Capriles said his side was studying its strategy for the vote, which will be held in the shadow of the government's efforts to immortalize Chávez. Since his death, the former paratrooper has been compared to Jesus and early 19th century Venezuelan liberator Simón Bolívar, and the government announced that his body would be embalmed and put on eternal display. | The opposition has denounced the transition as an unconstitutional power grab, and Capriles said his side was studying its strategy for the vote, which will be held in the shadow of the government's efforts to immortalize Chávez. Since his death, the former paratrooper has been compared to Jesus and early 19th century Venezuelan liberator Simón Bolívar, and the government announced that his body would be embalmed and put on eternal display. |
| Observers voiced mounting concern about the deep political divide gripping Venezuela, with half of it in a near frenzy of adulation and the other feeling targeted. | Observers voiced mounting concern about the deep political divide gripping Venezuela, with half of it in a near frenzy of adulation and the other feeling targeted. |
| "Everything that happened yesterday (with the funeral and Maduro's speech) are outward signs of a fascistic aesthetic, complete with armbands," said Vicente González de la Vega, a professor of law at Caracas's Universidad Metropolitana. "It is the cult of the adored leader, an escape from reality ... they are trying to impose on the rest of the country a new, pagan religion." | "Everything that happened yesterday (with the funeral and Maduro's speech) are outward signs of a fascistic aesthetic, complete with armbands," said Vicente González de la Vega, a professor of law at Caracas's Universidad Metropolitana. "It is the cult of the adored leader, an escape from reality ... they are trying to impose on the rest of the country a new, pagan religion." |
| He said the ruling party was playing with fire with its strong nationalistic rhetoric and the implication that a vote against Maduro was somehow subversive. | He said the ruling party was playing with fire with its strong nationalistic rhetoric and the implication that a vote against Maduro was somehow subversive. |
| Capriles, too, has used emotionally charged language in his public comments. On Friday he denounced Maduro as a shameless liar who had not been elected by the people, and condescendingly referred to him as "boy." | Capriles, too, has used emotionally charged language in his public comments. On Friday he denounced Maduro as a shameless liar who had not been elected by the people, and condescendingly referred to him as "boy." |
| Opposition figures have said they are concerned about the election's fairness, particularly given the public vows of allegiance to Chávez from senior military officials. Capriles lost to Chávez in elections on 7 October last year, but he garnered 45% of the vote, which was the most anyone had ever won against the late president. | Opposition figures have said they are concerned about the election's fairness, particularly given the public vows of allegiance to Chávez from senior military officials. Capriles lost to Chávez in elections on 7 October last year, but he garnered 45% of the vote, which was the most anyone had ever won against the late president. |
| A boycott of 2005 legislative elections was widely seen as disastrous for the opposition, letting Chávez's supporters win all 167 seats and allowing him to govern unimpeded by any legislative rivals. | A boycott of 2005 legislative elections was widely seen as disastrous for the opposition, letting Chávez's supporters win all 167 seats and allowing him to govern unimpeded by any legislative rivals. |
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