Chavez heir chosen to lead Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan electoral officials say voters have narrowly elected Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor as president in a razor-close special election Sunday.

Ariana Cubillos

FILE - In this April 13, 2013 file photo, Venezuela's interim President Nicolas Maduro gestures to supporters as he leaves a polling station after voting in the presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela. Already grappling with street protests led by the right, President Maduro is facing a new threat from an unlikely place: old-school leftists who accuse him of betraying the socialist legacy that carried him to power. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

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FILE - In this April 13, 2013 file photo, Venezuela's interim President Nicolas Maduro gestures to supporters as he leaves a polling station after voting in the presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela. Already grappling with street protests led by the right, President Maduro is facing a new threat from an unlikely place: old-school leftists who accuse him of betraying the socialist legacy that carried him to power. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

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Opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles greets supporters after voting in the presidential election outside a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, April 14, 2013. Capriles is running for president against Nicolas Maduro, the hand picked successor of late President Hugo Chavez. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

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Residents wait in line to enter a polling station during the presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela, early Sunday, April 14, 2013. Interim President Nicolas Maduro, who served as the late President Hugo Chavez's foreign minister and vice president, is running against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles. The newspaper's headline reads in Spanish "Vote in Peace." (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

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Government supporters chant slogans praising Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez at opposition supporters, outside a a polling station that had remained open about 20 minutes past the allotted time, in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, April 14, 2013. Although no was waiting to vote, the polling station remained open past 6:00 p.m., until demands by a group of opposition supporters were met for the station to be closed. Voters were deciding Sunday whether to elect interim President Nicolas Maduro, who served as late President Hugo Chavez's foreign minister and vice president or opposition candidate Henrique Capriles in a special presidential election to replace Chavez who died of cancer on March 5. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

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Venezuelan voters who reside in Mexico chant the name of Venezuela's opposition presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, outside Venezuela's consulate office that was serving as a polling station, in Mexico City, Sunday, April 14, 2013. Voters were deciding Sunday whether to elect interim President Nicolas Maduro, who served as late President Hugo Chavez's foreign minister and vice president, or Capriles in a special presidential election to replace Chavez who died on March 5. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

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Opposition supporters chant, "Si se puede, Capriles presidente," or "Yes we can, Capriles president," at ruling party supporters outside a polling station that had remained open about 20 minutes past the allotted time, in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, April 14, 2013. Although no was waiting to vote, the polling station remained open past 6:00 p.m., until demands by the Capriles supporters were met for the station to be closed. Voters were deciding Sunday whether to elect interim President Nicolas Maduro, who served as late President Hugo Chavez's foreign minister and vice president or opposition candidate Henrique Capriles in a special presidential election to replace Chavez who died of cancer on March 5. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

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

Officials say Maduro defeated Henrique Capriles by only about 300,000 votes. The margin was 50.8 percent to 49.1 percent.

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