Venezuela's Post-Chavez Presidential Election

CARACAS, Venezuela — Tensions are rising in Venezuela as the campaign of acting President Nicolas Maduro strongly hints it has won Sunday's election to replace the late Hugo Chavez. The opposition, meanwhile, suggests fraud is in the works.

Maduro campaign leader Jorge Rodriguez says he can't reveal results before electoral authorities announce them. But he hints Chavez's chosen successor has won by smiling and calling on people to gather at the presidential palace. That's where Chavez's supporters once gathered to celebrate his past victories.

[Source AP]

Earlier today, Nicolas Maduro's twitter account was hacked:

The Twitter account of Venezuela governing party candidate Nicolas Maduro was hacked around 6 p.m. as Venezuelans awaited the results of Sunday's presidential election pitting the interim president against opposition leader Henrique Capriles.

Shortly after taking control of the account, which has more than 700,000 followers, the hacker cracked a joke:

"Thank you to all of those who follow me on this Twitter account," the hacker tweeted. "I just got 700,000 followers in record time."

[Source AP]

UPDATE — April 14, 2013, 11:42 p.m. EST: Capriles is meeting with members of the country’s military high command.

CARACAS, Venezuela — A senior campaign aide for Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles says Capriles is meeting with members of the country's military high command.

The meeting comes more than 4½ hours after polls closed in an election to replace the late President Hugo Chavez.

[Source AP]