Chavez wins fourth term ni Venezuela

Chávez wins fourth term in Venezuela

By John Paul Rathbone and Benedict Mander in Caracas Hugo Chávez, Venezuela’s socialist president, won another six-year term on Sunday, frustrating the opposition’s best chance of beating him after 14 years in power and reconfirming him as one of Latin America’s most commanding political figures. Mr Chávez won with 54.4 per cent of the vote, or a 1.3 m vote lead, leaving his rival Henrique Capriles trailing at 44.9 per cent with 90 per cent of the votes counted, the national electoral council said. Supporters of the 58-year old former tank commander, who has spun a web of regional alliances by providing like-minded leftist governments such as Cuba with cheap oil, flocked to the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas and set off a barrage of bangers and fireworks. Voter turnout was over 80 per cent. http://link.ft.com/r/3JFELL/QNJOOB/KEIJMC/KQCC48/A55R7V/E4/h?a1=2012&a2=10&a3=8