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US reluctant to recognize Maduro as winner of Venezuelan election

Other News Materials 17 April 2013 02:19 (UTC +04:00)
The US was reluctant to recognize ruling party candidate Nicolas Maduro as winner of the Venezuelan presidential election after authorities certified results of the vote to replace deceased president Hugo Chavez.
US reluctant to recognize Maduro as winner of Venezuelan election

The US was reluctant to recognize ruling party candidate Nicolas Maduro as winner of the Venezuelan presidential election after authorities certified results of the vote to replace deceased president Hugo Chavez, DPA reported.

"We're not there," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said when asked if the US would congratulate Maduro.

He continued to call for a recount of the close contest between Maduro and opposition candidate Henrique Capriles.

"The CNE's decision to declare Mr Maduro the victor before completing a full recount is difficult to understand," he said. "And they did not explain their haste in taking this decision."

Electoral authorities said current caretaker president Maduro won Sunday's election with 50.66 per cent of the votes to Capriles's 49.06 per cent, and Capriles has refused to concede.

Capriles on Monday called on his compatriots to protest over the "illegitimacy" of the result.

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