Venezuela re-elects its president

Hugo Chávez was elected on 7 October to a fourth term as president of Venezuela, winning some 7,860,000 votes against just over 6,386,000 votes cast for the liberal Henrique Capriles, Europa Press reported. Chávez won 54.84 per percent of all votes counted by 8 October - which were 95.58 per cent of votes cast - the National Electoral Council (CNE) stated; he had already thanked Venezuelans through a message on the website Twitter, Reuters reported on 8 October. His rival conceded defeat and congratulated the president, but urged him to show "respect, consideration and recognition" for "almost half the country" that did not favour "this option keeping itself in power today," Reuters reported. Chávez was to govern Venezuela now until 2019.