Nicolas Maduro elected Venezuela president

(Caracas, VEN) - Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro was elected Hugo Chavez's successor Sunday with 50.66 percent of the vote, while opposition rival Henrique Capriles earned 49.06 percent, election officials said.

"These are the irreversible results that the people have decided," National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena told a news conference, announcing a much closer victory for Maduro than expected.