Venezuela Nicolas Maduro sworn in as acting president
9 March BBC
Venezuela's former vice-president Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in as
acting president hours after the state funeral of Hugo Chavez.The
ceremony was led by National Assembly Speaker Diosdado Cabello in the
capital, Caracas.Mr Chavez, who died on 5 March after a long battle with
cancer, had named Mr Maduro as his chosen successor.However, the main
opposition coalition boycotted Mr Maduro's swearing-in, saying that it
was unconstitutional.It argues that under the constitution the speaker
of the National Assembly should be the one to take over as acting
president.The opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, called the move
fraudulent.After swearing in Mr Maduro, Mr Cabello said: “Venezuela will
follow the route to socialism.As acting president, Mr Maduro is expected
to call elections within 30 days.
Holding a copy of the Venezuelan constitution in his hand, Mr Maduro
announced at the National Assembly: “I swear in the name of absolute
loyalty to Comandante [commander] Hugo Chavez that we will obey and
defend this Bolivarian Constitution with the hard hand of the free
people.Fireworks exploded above Caracas as Maduro was sworn in.Earlier
on Friday, Venezuelans paid an emotional farewell to Hugo Chavez.Mr
Maduro told mourners that Mr Chavez, who led Venezuela for 14 years,
remained “undefeated, pure, living for all time”.
The former vice-president began the funeral ceremony by presenting Mr
Chavez's coffin with the sword of Simon Bolivar the 19th-Century
independence leader he claimed as his inspiration. |