Maduro, the loyal successor of Hugo Chávez

According to the announcement of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Acting President Nicolás Maduro - candidate of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) - defeated the candidate of the opposition coalition in the election on April 14 to become the new president of Venezuela and take on the responsibility of completing the third term of the late President Hugo Chávez (2013-2019).

Maduro has been with the late President Hugo Chavez for 20 years, from his landslide victory in the 1998 election to his death last month from cancer. During his campaign, Maduro vowed to remain loyal to Chavez and continue to expand social programs for the poor. Now, Maduro can officially fulfill his promise in his new position.




Mr. Maduro and his wife were delighted with the vote count results announced with the victory in their favor. Photo: AFP/TTXVN.

New Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was born in 1962 in the capital Caracas. Originally a bus driver in the Caracas Metro system, he actively participated in union activities in the industry during the 1970s and 1980s. After a long period of effort and many leadership positions, he was elected Vice President of Venezuela in 2012.

Prior to that, Maduro's most notable revolutionary activities included supporting Hugo Chávez from 1992 to 1998 and rescuing Chavez from prison after a failed coup against the unpopular president Carlos Andrés Pérez.

Mr. Maduro became a deputy to the Venezuelan House of Representatives in 1998, a deputy to the Constituent Assembly in 1999, and under the new constitution he became a deputy to the Venezuelan National Assembly in 2000. From 2005 until the first half of 2006 he served as President of the National Assembly and was then appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs on August 9, 2006.

Mr. Maduro's policies always aim at the interests of the working class and closely follow the late leader Hugo Chávez's policy of building "21st Century Socialism" in Latin America. As a person who "worships" Mr. Chávez, Mr. Maduro calls himself "son" of Mr. Chávez.

On March 5, 2013, before he died of cancer, Mr. Chávez confidently appointed his right-hand man, Vice President Maduro, as Acting President of Venezuela, responsible for running the country until official general elections are held.

And on April 15, 2013, with a close margin of votes compared to opposition candidate Henrique Capriles (50.66%-49.1%), Mr. Maduro was officially elected President of Venezuela, the country believed to have the largest oil reserves in the world.

According to News- TH