The last-minute meeting of the regional group Unasur ended in Peru hours before Maduro’s scheduled swearing in ceremony in Caracas.

Protests erupted in Venezuela after Maduro won Sunday’s election by about 2 percentage points, and the government says eight people have been killed in opposition-led protests.

Responding to demands by Maduro’s rival Henrique Capriles for a recount, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) said late on Thursday it would audit the 46 percent of electronic votes that remain unchecked. An audit of more than half of votes was carried out on voting day.

“We welcome the decision of the CNE to implement a system that permits a full audit of election results,” Unasur said in an official declaration in which it congratulated Maduro on his victory and called on both sides to “reject violent acts that put the social peace of the country at risk”.

Maduro had blamed the United States for casting doubt on the result. He was named by late President Hugo Chavez, a self-styled socialist who died of cancer in March, as his chosen successor.

Washington has not recognized the election result, while the European Union had suggested Venezuelan authorities consider an audit of the vote.

The governments of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina, among others, had recognized Maduro’s victory before the summit.

But two of the more moderate countries – Peru and Brazil – were especially concerned about growing polarization in Venezuela and how it might hurt governance, diplomats and lawmakers said.

Leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was a close ally of Chavez, said Washington had no right to question the legitimacy of Maduro’s victory because U.S. President George W. Bush was re-elected by a similarly narrow margin in 2004.

“This is clearly meddling,” Morales said on Thursday. “We condemn this and repudiate it. We won’t permit that Bolivia or Latin America be treated as the U.S. government’s backyard.”

U.S. VOTE DISPUTE

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers on Wednesday he favored a recount because of possible voting irregularities.

Maduro’s supporters have defended his victory with repeated references to the 2000 U.S. election dispute, when the U.S. Supreme Court halted a recount in Florida and Bush was declared the winner in the state by just 537 votes.

Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, who was a fierce critic of Chavez, urged international observers to scrutinize the results to “stop the authoritarian drift that seems to be underway.”

Peru holds the rotating presidency of Unasur and the group’s election monitors have said Maduro’s win was legitimate.

Most of the leaders, including Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, will now head to Venezuela for the swearing-in ceremony.

Capriles, the opposition candidate, says his team’s figures show he won. He immediately accepted the CNE’s decision, even though it falls short of the manual recount that he had wanted, and said he believed the truth would come out.

“We have identified where the problems are. With this, we’re where we want to be,” he told a news conference in Caracas. He also called on the government to stop “persecuting” his supporters.

The CNE said it would announce the date for the start of the wider audit next week. Maduro’s allies had argued that a recount was unnecessary because the electoral council had already carried out a partial audit.

(Additional reporting by; Dan Wallis in Caracas, Patricia Velez in Lima, and Brian Winter and Alejandro Lifschitz in Buenos Aires; Editing by Pravin Char)

The last-minute meeting of the regional group Unasur was being held in Peru a day before he is to be sworn in on Friday.

Protests erupted in Venezuela after Maduro won Sunday’s election by about 2 percentage points, and at least eight people have been killed in violent clashes.

Maduro blamed the United States for casting doubt on the result. He was named by late President Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer in March, as his chosen successor.

“In Venezuela we don’t have an opposition, we have a permanent conspiracy cheered on by the United States,” he said in a televised speech before boarding a plane to Lima. He did not speak to reporters upon arrival.

Fans and foes of Maduro banged pots and pans and waved Venezuelan flags in competing protests in Lima’s Plaza San Martin.

The governments of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina, among others, have already recognized Maduro’s victory.

But two of the more moderate countries – Peru and Brazil – are worried about growing polarization in Venezuela.

Diplomatic sources said regional heavyweight Brazil is looking to encourage Maduro to calm tensions with the opposition to help governance in the OPEC nation.

Peruvian lawmakers said they were told by their foreign minister that President Ollanta Humala would propose Maduro enter into a dialogue with the opposition and carry out an audit of the votes.

Leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was a close ally of Chavez, said Unasur aimed to “express our support for President-elect Maduro and the legality of the Venezuelan election.”

Morales said Washington had no right to question Maduro’s victory because U.S. President George W. Bush was re-elected by a similarly narrow margin in 2004.

“This is clearly meddling,” Morales said earlier in the day. “We condemn this and repudiate it. We won’t permit that Bolivia or Latin America be treated as the U.S. government’s backyard.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday told lawmakers he favored a recount because of possible voting irregularities. Washington has not recognized the result.

The European Union has suggested Venezuelan authorities consider an audit of the vote.

Maduro’s supporters have defended the legitimacy of his win with repeated references to the 2000 U.S. election dispute, when the U.S. Supreme Court halted a recount in Florida and Bush was declared the winner in the state by just 537 votes.

Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, who was a fierce critic of Chavez, urged a recount overseen by international observers to “stop the authoritarian drift that seems to be underway.”

LEADERS TO ATTEND SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

Peru holds the rotating presidency of Unasur and the group’s election monitors have said Maduro’s win was legitimate.

Most of the leaders, including Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, will head to Venezuela for the swearing-in ceremony after the meeting in Lima.

The outcome of Sunday’s vote has been rejected by Maduro’s rival, Henrique Capriles, who has alleged thousands of irregularities at polling centers and wants a full audit of the ballots.

Maduro’s allies have said a recount is unnecessary because the electoral council had already carried out a partial audit.

On Thursday, Tibisay Lucena, the head of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, said the remaining 46 percent of the electronic votes cast would be audited. It had already audited 54 percent.

While that is not the manual recount that Capriles has asked for, the move could constitute a concession to the opposition that may pave the way for a negotiated settlement of the standoff.

(Additional reporting by Carlos Quiroga in La Paz,; Enrique Andres Pretel and Brian Ellsworth in Caracas, Patricia Velez in Lima, and Brian Winter and Alejandro Lifschitz in Buenos Aires; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Xavier Briand)

Venezuela Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said he would attend the last-minute meeting of the regional group Unasur in Peru a day before Maduro’s swearing in on Friday.

Sources in Lima said Maduro would also attend, but there was no confirmation from Venezuelan officials.

Maduro was named by late President Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer in March, as his chosen successor.

Protests erupted in Venezuela after Maduro won Sunday’s election by a narrow margin of about 2 percentage points, and at least eight people have been killed in violent clashes.

Leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales said Washington had no right to question Maduro’s victory because George W. Bush won the presidency by a similarly narrow margin in 2004.

“This is clearly meddling,” Morales said in La Paz. “We condemn this and repudiate it. We won’t permit that Bolivia or Latin America be treated as the U.S. government’s backyard.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday told lawmakers he favored a recount because of possible voting irregularities.

Maduro’s supporters have defended the legitimacy of his narrow win with repeated references to the 2000 U.S. election dispute, when the U.S. Supreme Court halted a recount in Florida and Bush was declared the winner in the state by just 537 votes.

Although moderate South American leaders were expected to voice support for Maduro, it appeared unlikely that they would criticize Washington as openly as Morales.

The governments of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina, among others, have already recognized Maduro’s victory, but Washington has not.

The European Union has said it is “concerned by the growing polarization of Venezuelan society” and suggested Venezuelan authorities consider an audit of the vote.

LEADERS TO ATTEND SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

Peru holds the rotating presidency of Unasur and the group’s election monitors have said Maduro’s win was legitimate.

“We all thought we needed to get together before Maduro’s swearing in to show a unified bloc in response to statements from outside of the region and some from within that question the legitimacy of the election,” Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said on radio.

Most of the leaders, including President Dilma Rousseff of regional heavyweight Brazil, will head to Venezuela for the swearing-in ceremony after the meeting in Lima.

The outcome of Sunday’s vote has been rejected by Maduro’s rival, Henrique Capriles, who has alleged thousands of irregularities at polling centers and wants a full audit of the ballots.

Maduro’s allies have said a recount is unnecessary because the electoral council had already carried out a partial audit.

But Jorge Rodriguez, a top Maduro ally, said on Wednesday the ruling Socialist Party would not oppose a complete audit of the electronic voting system.

“We are in agreement with any audit, whatever they want,” he said. “They can even verify if there are flying saucers that took their (poll station) witnesses to Mars.”

The National Electoral Council had audited 54 percent of the votes. Rodriguez said the party would not oppose auditing the remaining 46 percent.

While that is not the manual recount that Capriles has asked for, it could constitute a concession to the opposition that may pave the way for a negotiated settlement of the standoff.

The opposition leader pointedly said, via Twitter, that he was considering going to Lima and had spoken to various heads of state who were “receptive” to the idea of a vote recount.

(Additional reporting by Carlos Quiroga in La Paz,; Enrique Andres Pretel and Brian Ellsworth in Caracas, Patricia Velez in Lima, and Alejandro Lifschitz in Buenos Aires; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Fans say Chavez’s hyperkinetic energy is irreplaceable, and even before his death last Tuesday the appeal of his boisterous, hard line approach to economic and foreign policy had faded.

Instead, momentum has moved towards the more pragmatic leftist model led by Brazil that welcomes private investment or, in case of a handful of aggressive free traders in the region, a free-market one associated with Washington but with additional social welfare spending to fight poverty.

Both paths are converging around a broad center.

Brazil, always having seen itself as the “natural leader” of South America, has the most to gain in the post-Chavez era. Though the socialist Chavez generally got along well with his Brazilian peers, his combative style sometimes upstaged them.

“Chavez’s death changes things. He occupied an important space within the Latin American left and now there will be a political realignment,” one Brazilian diplomat told Reuters, insisting on anonymity.

“The death of Chavez could eventually lead to the end of radicalism on the continent,” said another Brazilian diplomat.

Since Chavez’s death, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has said she “did not always agree” with the Venezuelan leader. Officials said that was part of an effort to draw a distinction between Brazil and Venezuela in the eyes of the international community and business leaders.

“Changes will likely take place, starting with the diminishing role of Venezuela as a regional power, to the benefit of Brazil,” said Irene Mia of the Economist Intelligence Unit.

U.S. COULD BENEFIT

There is also a secondary beneficiary from the demise of Chavez: the United States.

Throughout his 14 years in power, Chavez was a constant thorn in Washington’s side. He lambasted “Yankee imperialism,” kicked out U.S. diplomats, took over private companies, rattled oil markets and built alliances with other anti-American leaders such as Iranian Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Even if Venezuelans elect Chavez’s choice to succeed him, Nicolas Maduro, and he continues to challenge U.S. influence in Latin America, Chavez was the clear leader of anti-U.S. sentiment.

“The departure of Chavez from the Latin American political scene could usher in a new period of enhanced diplomacy and improved relations with the U.S.,” wrote Heather Berkman of the Eurasia Group.

She said the voices of Brazil’s Rousseff and Mexico’s new centrist president, Enrique Pena Nieto, could strengthen on regional issues “as Chavez’s fiery rhetoric fades from memory.”

To be sure, U.S. influence in the region has declined over the last decade. Two forums set up to solve “local” problems without outside help – the Union of South American Nations, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States – deliberately excluded the United States.

But, as U.S. diplomats tell it, this is healthy: there is less need for Washington to get involved nowadays because the region is more stable than ever before.

And despite strident rhetoric from Latin American leaders over the need for “regional integration,” there are bitter internal differences over trade policy.

BUFFER AGAINST CHAVEZ

Before he left office in 2011, former Peruvian President Alan Garcia set up the “Pacific Alliance” of committed fast-growing free traders Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. Other associates include Panama, Costa Rica and Uruguay.

His idea was to counter Chavez’s left-wing ALBA group that includes Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia and, at the same time, Argentina and Brazil, which the open economies regard as protectionist.

The gambit flowed from Garcia’s view that “South America looks like it’s in a type of Cold War, like the big ideological blocs of the 20th century.” He said that in 2008 while wearing a tie clasp with the Great Seal of the United States on it.

Although there is growing consensus around centrist policies that encourage private enterprise while boosting social spending, divisions over trade policies still run deep.

Brazil is the most closed major economy to trade in the Western Hemisphere. It has raised targeted tariffs on several goods and is accused of slow-pedaling most trade talks it is a part of, including one between South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union.

With Chavez’s death, close allies such as Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia and Ecuador could face tougher times. They have all relied heavily on him for economic aid, and Argentina received some $5 billion in financing from Chavez when it was locked out of bond markets.

Without Chavez and his resources as the glue that held them together, those nations may need to look for other alliances.

Some were already tweaking their own economic policies, diverging from the path set out by Chavez.

Bolivian President Evo Morales has nationalized private companies but he has also won plaudits from Wall Street rating agencies for sound fiscal management and record central bank reserves.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa was another close ally of the Venezuelan leader and his policies of extending state control over the economy scared away investors. But when he won re-election in February, he told Reuters he would strike a $1.2 billion mining deal with Canadian firm Kinross this year to lure more foreign investment.

Even Cuba is making adjustments, with President Raul Castro pushing through cautious reforms aimed at boosting private enterprise.

LIMITS OF CHAVISMO

The only current Latin American leader who could possibly take the place of Chavez is Ecuador’s Correa.

But Ecuador, though a member of OPEC, lacks the vast oil reserves of Venezuela that Chavez used to spread influence. And Correa lacks his charisma and zeal.

“Internationally, I really like Correa of Ecuador and I think he has a lot of charisma, but nobody has what Chavez had,” said Juan Carlos Villamizar, a ‘Chavista’ neighborhood activist who lives in a Caracas slum.

In 2006, Peru’s Ollanta Humala, a former army officer, ran for president as a left-wing, nationalist acolyte of Chavez and narrowly lost.

Five years later, Humala publicly criticized Chavez and won by reinventing himself as a moderate leftist like Lula who would twin private investment with more generous social spending.

Humala has ramped up social spending but he has also ushered in a free-trade pact with the European Union and, with U.S. help, he has intensified anti-drug operations in one of the world’s top coca growers.

“There is no clearer measure of how Chavez’s stock dwindled after 2006 than the striking change of heart of Humala,” Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue said in a Reuters column. ( link.reuters.com/zux56t )

(Additional reporting By Esteban Israel and Pablo Garibian; Editing by Simon Gardner, Kieran Murray and Claudia Parsons)

Fans say Chavez’s hyperkinetic energy is irreplaceable, and even before his death last Tuesday the appeal of his boisterous, hard line approach to economic and foreign policy had faded.

Instead, momentum has moved towards the more pragmatic leftist model led by Brazil that welcomes private investment or, in case of a handful of aggressive free traders in the region, a free-market one associated with Washington but with additional social welfare spending to fight poverty.

Both paths are converging around a broad center.

Brazil, always having seen itself as the “natural leader” of South America, has the most to gain in the post-Chavez era. Though the socialist Chavez generally got along well with his Brazilian peers, his combative style sometimes upstaged them.

“Chavez’s death changes things. He occupied an important space within the Latin American left and now there will be a political realignment,” one Brazilian diplomat told Reuters, insisting on anonymity.

“The death of Chavez could eventually lead to the end of radicalism on the continent,” said another Brazilian diplomat.

Since Chavez’s death, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has said she “did not always agree” with the Venezuelan leader. Officials said that was part of an effort to draw a distinction between Brazil and Venezuela in the eyes of the international community and business leaders.

“Changes will likely take place, starting with the diminishing role of Venezuela as a regional power, to the benefit of Brazil,” said Irene Mia of the Economist Intelligence Unit.

U.S. COULD BENEFIT

There is also a secondary beneficiary from the demise of Chavez: the United States.

Throughout his 14 years in power, Chavez was a constant thorn in Washington’s side. He lambasted “Yankee imperialism,” kicked out U.S. diplomats, took over private companies, rattled oil markets and built alliances with other anti-American leaders such as Iranian Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Even if Venezuelans elect Chavez’s choice to succeed him, Nicolas Maduro, and he continues to challenge U.S. influence in Latin America, Chavez was the clear leader of anti-U.S. sentiment.

“The departure of Chavez from the Latin American political scene could usher in a new period of enhanced diplomacy and improved relations with the U.S.,” wrote Heather Berkman of the Eurasia Group.

She said the voices of Brazil’s Rousseff and Mexico’s new centrist president, Enrique Pena Nieto, could strengthen on regional issues “as Chavez’s fiery rhetoric fades from memory.”

To be sure, U.S. influence in the region has declined over the last decade. Two forums set up to solve “local” problems without outside help – the Union of South American Nations, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States – deliberately excluded the United States.

But, as U.S. diplomats tell it, this is healthy: there is less need for Washington to get involved nowadays because the region is more stable than ever before.

And despite strident rhetoric from Latin American leaders over the need for “regional integration,” there are bitter internal differences over trade policy.

BUFFER AGAINST CHAVEZ

Before he left office in 2011, former Peruvian President Alan Garcia set up the “Pacific Alliance” of committed fast-growing free traders Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. Other associates include Panama, Costa Rica and Uruguay.

His idea was to counter Chavez’s left-wing ALBA group that includes Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia and, at the same time, Argentina and Brazil, which the open economies regard as protectionist.

The gambit flowed from Garcia’s view that “South America looks like it’s in a type of Cold War, like the big ideological blocs of the 20th century.” He said that in 2008 while wearing a tie clasp with the Great Seal of the United States on it.

Although there is growing consensus around centrist policies that encourage private enterprise while boosting social spending, divisions over trade policies still run deep.

Brazil is the most closed major economy to trade in the Western Hemisphere. It has raised targeted tariffs on several goods and is accused of slow-pedaling most trade talks it is a part of, including one between South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union.

With Chavez’s death, close allies such as Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia and Ecuador could face tougher times. They have all relied heavily on him for economic aid, and Argentina received some $5 billion in financing from Chavez when it was locked out of bond markets.

Without Chavez and his resources as the glue that held them together, those nations may need to look for other alliances.

Some were already tweaking their own economic policies, diverging from the path set out by Chavez.

Bolivian President Evo Morales has nationalized private companies but he has also won plaudits from Wall Street rating agencies for sound fiscal management and record central bank reserves.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa was another close ally of the Venezuelan leader and his policies of extending state control over the economy scared away investors. But when he won re-election in February, he told Reuters he would strike a $1.2 billion mining deal with Canadian firm Kinross this year to lure more foreign investment.

Even Cuba is making adjustments, with President Raul Castro pushing through cautious reforms aimed at boosting private enterprise.

LIMITS OF CHAVISMO

The only current Latin American leader who could possibly take the place of Chavez is Ecuador’s Correa.

But Ecuador, though a member of OPEC, lacks the vast oil reserves of Venezuela that Chavez used to spread influence. And Correa lacks his charisma and zeal.

“Internationally, I really like Correa of Ecuador and I think he has a lot of charisma, but nobody has what Chavez had,” said Juan Carlos Villamizar, a ‘Chavista’ neighborhood activist who lives in a Caracas slum.

In 2006, Peru’s Ollanta Humala, a former army officer, ran for president as a left-wing, nationalist acolyte of Chavez and narrowly lost.

Five years later, Humala publicly criticized Chavez and won by reinventing himself as a moderate leftist like Lula who would twin private investment with more generous social spending.

Humala has ramped up social spending but he has also ushered in a free-trade pact with the European Union and, with U.S. help, he has intensified anti-drug operations in one of the world’s top coca growers.

“There is no clearer measure of how Chavez’s stock dwindled after 2006 than the striking change of heart of Humala,” Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue said in a Reuters column. ( link.reuters.com/zux56t )

(Additional reporting By Esteban Israel and Pablo Garibian; Editing by Simon Gardner, Kieran Murray and Claudia Parsons)

Maduro, a physically imposing former union leader who served as foreign minister and vice president under Chavez, has vowed to keep Chavez’s self-styled socialist revolution alive.

He will likely face off against Henrique Capriles, 40, the centrist governor of Miranda state. Capriles, who lost to Chavez in a vote last October, thanked Venezuela’s opposition coalition on Saturday for backing him as its candidate, but stopped short of explicitly accepting the nomination.

Opinion polls have shown Maduro as the likely winner, but Chavez’s opponents said they wanted a chance to end “Chavismo” at the voting booth.

Opinion polls have shown Maduro as the likely winner, but Chavez’s opponents said they wanted a chance to end “Chavismo” at the voting booth. “We want change. We are tired of the Chavez era. It’s been 14 years,” said Yesenia Herrera, 33, a cook at a Chinese restaurant in an affluent quarter of Caracas.

Maduro was sworn in as acting president in Congress on Friday and handed the red, yellow and blue presidential sash.

“I asked (the election authority) to comply with legal and constitutional obligations and immediately call elections,” Maduro, 50, told Congress as he cemented his position as heir-in-waiting.

Chavez was immensely popular among the poor and they have vowed to back Maduro. Millions have filed past his casket to pay their last respects and were still visiting him on Saturday.

The Supreme Court has ruled Maduro does not need to step down in order to campaign, but the move was denounced by opponents as a violation of the constitution and a “fraud.”

As Maduro spoke in Congress, residents of some wealthy neighborhoods of Caracas banged pots and pans in a traditional form of protest. At one building in a wealthy corner of Caracas, people drank wine and whisky around a swimming pool, rejoicing at Chavez’s demise. They toasted each other, “Happy goodbye, Chavez, we will not miss you!”

HERO OR AUTOCRAT?

Chavez was a hero to millions of mostly poor supporters for using Venezuela’s oil wealth to finance heavy social spending, but he was seen as an autocrat by his opponents. He died on Tuesday at age 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.

“The excluded and invisible, the ‘losers’ of savage capitalism, were made visible and victorious with Chavez,” Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said on Twitter.

Like communist leaders Lenin, Stalin and Mao, Chavez’s remains are to be embalmed and put on display “for eternity.”

An eclectic cast of celebrities, leftist and center-right presidents attended Chavez’s state funeral on Friday. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a close ally, broke with protocol to kiss the coffin, while Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn was also in attendance.

It is likely to be a particularly bitter election campaign in the OPEC heavyweight nation, which boasts the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

The opposition had accused the government of trampling on the constitution during its handling of Chavez’s battle with cancer, and is furious that Maduro was allowed to take on the job of caretaker president while he campaigns for the job.

“This transgression is unprecedented in the history of the republic,” opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado said on Twitter.

Capriles called it an abuse of power.

“To become president, the people have to elect you,” he said on Friday. “No one elected Nicolas president.”

(This story has been refiled to delete repeated line in paragraph four)

(Reporting by Simon Gardner, Daniel Wallis, Andrew Cawthorne, Terry Wade, Deisy Buitrago, Marianna Parraga, Pablo Garibian, Diego Ore, Patricia Velez and Ana Isabel Martinez; Editing by Eric Beech and Todd Eastham)

The country’s electoral commission was expected to set the election date later on Saturday. Opposition-leaning newspaper El Universal reported it could be held April 14 or before.

Opinion polls have shown Maduro as the likely winner, but Chavez’s opponents were impatient and said they wanted to be given a chance to end “Chavismo” at the voting booth.

“We want new elections now. We want change. We are tired of the Chavez era. It’s been 14 years,” said Yesenia Herrera, 33, a cook at a Chinese restaurant in an affluent quarter of Caracas.

A physically imposing former union leader who served as foreign minister and vice president under Chavez, Maduro has vowed to keep Chavez’s self-styled socialist revolution alive.

Maduro was sworn in as acting president in Congress on Friday and handed the red, yellow and blue presidential sash.

“I asked (the election authority) to comply with legal and constitutional obligations and immediately call elections,” Maduro, 50, told Congress late on Friday as he cemented his position as heir-in-waiting.

Chavez was immensely popular among the poor and they have vowed to back Maduro. Several million people have filed past his casket to pay their last respects and were still visiting him on Saturday.

The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that Maduro did not need to step down in order to campaign, but the move was denounced by opponents as a violation of the constitution and a “fraud.”

As Maduro spoke in Congress, residents of some wealthy neighborhoods of Caracas banged pots and pans in a traditional form of protest.

Still, at one building in a wealthy corner of Caracas, residents drank wine and whisky around a swimming pool, rejoicing at Chavez’s demise. They toasted each other, “Happy goodbye, Chavez, we will not miss you!”

HERO OR AUTOCRAT?

Chavez was a hero to millions of mostly humble supporters for using Venezuela’s oil wealth to finance heavy social spending during his rule, but he was seen as an autocrat by his opponents. He died on Tuesday at age 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.

“The excluded and invisible, the ‘losers’ of savage capitalism, were made visible and victorious with Chavez,” Information Minister Ernesto Villegas tweeted on Saturday.

Like communist leaders Lenin, Stalin and Mao, Chavez’s remains are to be embalmed and put on display “for eternity.”

An eclectic cast of celebrities, leftist and center-right presidents, and rogue leaders attended Chavez’s state funeral on Friday. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a close ally, broke with protocol to kiss the coffin, while Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn was also in attendance.

It is likely to be a particularly bitter election campaign in the OPEC nation, which boasts the world’s largest oil reserves.

The opposition had accused the government of trampling on the constitution during its handling of Chavez’s battle with cancer, and is furious that Maduro was allowed to take on the job of caretaker president while he campaigns for the job.

“This transgression is unprecedented in the history of the republic,” opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado said on Twitter.

“Today, on a day of mourning … the Supreme Court issued a political sentence, a fraud,” said opposition leader Henrique Capriles, 40, the centrist governor of Miranda state who lost to Chavez in October’s election and is expected to face off against Maduro.

“We are not prepared to tolerate abuses of power,” he added. “To become president, the people have to elect you. … No one elected Nicolas president.”

The constitution stipulates that an election must be called within 30 days, but some politicians said the electoral authorities may not be ready. Before Maduro’s call for an immediate vote, there had been talk of a possible delay.

(With reporting by Simon Gardner, Daniel Wallis, Andrew Cawthorne, Terry Wade, Deisy Buitrago, Marianna Parraga, Pablo Garibian and Enrique Andres Pretel; Editing by Eric Beech)

A devoted servant of the socialist cadres in the “23 de enero” hillside community where Chavez launched a coup attempt in 1992, Villamizar credits an 11th hour intervention by the president’s office for putting him on a plane to Cuba for delicate surgery to fix a broken neck.

It was one of several times their paths crossed.

Both underwent complex operations in Havana after voting at the same polling station in the election in October that gave Chavez a new six-year term.

Both fell into comas. One lived. The other died. Chavez was 58. Villamizar is about to turn 59.

At the polls in October, Villamizar bumped into an army captain he knew and mentioned he had been waiting a year for a public hospital in Venezuela to fix the neck he broke in a fall.

“The captain picked up the phone and dialed the presidential palace…. A week and a half later I was on my way to Cuba,” he said with joy on Friday while watching a live broadcast of Chavez’s state funeral attended by dozens of heads of state.

Villamizar said Chavez’s partnership with communist Cuba helped Venezuela make important strides in health and education, and he paid tribute to the socialist leader’s deep emotional connection to the poor.

“There’s nobody like Chavez,” Villamizar said. “We have always been an oppressed country, but he showed the people great affection.

He recalled how he hugged and shook hands with Chavez at the same voting precinct in the “23 de enero” slum during an election in 2006. The moment was recorded by Venezuelan TV, and Villamizar played a clip of it again on Friday on the Korean-made computer in his modest apartment.

Chavez formed community groups to run everything from food programs to health clinics in poor neighborhoods such as this one, ignored for decades by a narrow political elite.

The groups replicated across Venezuela and developed close ties to the government, becoming a foundation of Chavez’s political movement during his 14 years in power.

They will now go to work for Chavez’s hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, who is favored to beat centrist opposition candidate Henrique Capriles in a presidential election in the next few weeks.

Maduro will benefit from the surge of emotion following Chavez’s death Tuesday, although he lacks his charisma.

Chavez’s verve, penetrating gaze, sense of humor and often antagonistic style captivated the masses even as he repelled the rich.

“He was magnetic. Watching him speak on TV was like watching an adventure film that went on for hours,” Villamizar said.

He and his wife, Milagros Perez, were active in left-wing politics before the magniloquent and quixotic Chavez won his first presidential election in 1998. Their adult children have also served in the community cadres.

Pictures of Chavez hang on the walls of their living room, intermixed with photos of their family.

In a nearby plaza, a mural based on the Last Supper depicts Christ flanked by Marx, Chavez, Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the Argentine doctor who became a hero of the Cuban revolution.

“For us, Chavez and Che are the same. And Maduro now,” said Alejandro Espinosa, 60, sitting beneath another mural.

THE TOMB AND A BASEBALL DIAMOND

A few blocks away stands a majestic, century-old building that once served as the army’s headquarters.

Chavez used the turreted edifice, which sits on hills near the presidential palace, as his command center when he tried to overthrow free-market President Carlos Andres Perez in 1992.

At the front gate, a silver torch to commemorate the uprising burns in the tropical sun with a plaque that reads: “The birth of hope.”

Inside, construction workers are hastily building a tomb for Chavez and officials have promised to display his embalmed body there “for eternity.”

The fort-like building has a commanding view of the verdant hills of Caracas and overlooks a diamond for playing Chavez’s favorite sport: baseball.

His love for America’s pastime was matched only by his penchant for bashing Washington’s “imperialism.”

On the road leading to what will be Chavez’s tomb, Nelson Santana, 60, was painting a sign on a wall in curvy red letters that read “Until forever comandante!” and “Chavez Lives!”

Revolutionary folk songs blared from outdoor speakers and people guzzled bottles of beer in outdoor bars – flouting a ban on alcohol sales during Chavez’s funeral.

Hovering over Santana were two young men in combat boots, green army pants and red bandannas tied around their necks identifying them as members of the La Piedrita “colectivo” – one of the many armed squads of die-hard Chavistas who patrol slums and, critics say, dispense vigilante justice.

The colectivos mobilized entire neighborhoods to take to the streets demanding Chavez be restored to power after he was deposed by opponents in a two-day coup in 2002.

Santana said it was fitting that Chavez’s body would be put on display in this part of Caracas.

“We are delighted he is coming back to a combative neighborhood like this. He will be with us in our actions,” he said. “I feel him here with me while I’m painting. Chavez did not die on March 5. He multiplied a million times over.”

(Additional reporting Girish Gupta; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Kieran Murray and Cynthia Osterman)

Huge crowds are still waiting to pay their respects to Chavez after his death this week, and Maduro said the move – reminiscent of the treatment of Communist leaders Lenin, Stalin and Mao after their deaths – would help keep the late president’s self-declared socialist revolution alive.

“It has been decided that the body of the comandante will be embalmed so that it remains eternally on view for the people at the museum,” Maduro told state TV.

Chavez, a former paratrooper, died on Tuesday aged 58 after a two-year battle with cancer. He was president for 14 years and is now lying in state at a military academy where the government says more than 2 million supporters have viewed it since Wednesday.

Maduro said Chavez’s official funeral would go ahead on Friday, attended by about 30 leaders from around the world and that his body would then lie in state for a further seven days.

Huge lines snaked around the academy on Thursday as tens of thousands of Venezuelans shuffled forward to salute, raise clenched fists or make the sign of the cross over Chavez’s casket.

From soldiers in fatigues to officers in ceremonial dress, to residents of the slums where Chavez was most loved, those in line vowed to defend his legacy and back Maduro, his preferred heir, in a new election.

“I arrived in the early hours to see Chavez. He is my personal idol,” said Henry Acosta, 56.

A sobbing Berta Colmenares, 77, said “Chavistas” must throw their weight behind Maduro to carry on the revolution.

“I will vote for Maduro, who else? He is the one who Chavez chose and we have to follow his wish.”

Chavez was dressed in an army uniform and a signature red beret like the one he wore in a 1992 speech to the nation that launched his political career after he led a failed coup.

People were given just a few seconds to glance at his body inside the relatively simple wooden coffin, which has a glass top and was draped in flowers and a Venezuelan flag.

One government source told Reuters that Chavez slipped into a coma on Monday and died the next day of respiratory failure after a rapid deterioration from the weekend, when he had held a five-hour meeting with ministers at his bedside.

The cancer had spread to his lungs, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

MADURO VERSUS CAPRILES VOTE LOOMS

There is uncertainty over exactly when a presidential vote will be held in the South American OPEC country, which has the world’s largest oil reserves and 29 million residents.

The constitution stipulates a poll must be called within 30 days, but politicians say election authorities may not be ready in time and there is talk of a possible delay. Chavez ruled for 14 years and won four presidential elections.

Maduro, 50, a former union leader who ended his education at high school before plunging into politics, looks certain to face opposition leader Henrique Capriles, 40, the centrist governor of Miranda state who lost to Chavez in last year’s election.

Members of the opposition have kept a low profile and offered condolences during the enormous show of support for Chavez, one of Latin America’s most popular leaders.

But some expressed relief at the demise of a man they saw as a dictator who trampled on opponents and ruined their economy.

“I wanted his mandate to end. Power made him lose perspective,” said Israel Nogales, 43, a university administrator walking in a Caracas park.

“He polarized the country and families like mine. … He is going to be treated like a martyr and that is wrong.”

On Wednesday, opposition sources told Reuters they have again agreed to back Capriles, whose 44-percent vote share in 2012 was the best performance by any candidate against Chavez.

One recent opinion poll gave Maduro a strong lead, and both international markets and foreign diplomats are factoring in a probable win for him and a continuation of “Chavista” policies, at least in the short term.

The tall and hefty Maduro, who lacks Chavez’s man-of-the-people charisma, served as his foreign minister for six years before being named vice president in late 2012.

He has pledged to adhere to Chavez’s brand of ferociously nationalist politics and controversial economic policies that included regular seizures of private businesses as well as wildly popular social welfare programs.

Some analysts believe Maduro might eventually try to ease tensions with Western investors and the United States. But just hours before Chavez’s death, Maduro was accusing “imperialist” enemies of infecting the president with cancer and he expelled two American diplomats for alleged conspiracies.

Maduro is expected to continue bashing Washington, at least until the election. He may have to step down from his role as caretaker president to launch his candidacy and one official source told Reuters that Chavez’s son-in-law, Science Minister Jorge Arreaza, might step into that role.

Capriles, an athletic career politician and lawyer from a wealthy family, wants Venezuela to follow Brazil’s softer center-left model.

Venezuela’s heavily traded global bonds, which gained before Chavez’s death, were down for a second straight day on Thursday as investors realized his economic model of government control could persist for years. Yields for the 2027 bond spiked to nearly 9.5 percent as prices continued to fall.

State media have been airing old Chavez speeches and songs over and over in lengthy tributes.

Foreign Minister Elias Jaua urged private Venezuelan media outlets to let “Chavistas” mourn and refrain from provoking opponents to hold rallies against the government.

Authorities blame TV channels aligned with the opposition for helping incite a 2002 coup that briefly toppled Chavez.

At the wake, Venezuelans strained for a glimpse of Chavez, many welling up in tears as they reached his casket.

“I told him ‘don’t worry, Nicolas Maduro will be the new president as you asked’,” said nurse Maria Fernandez, 51, after filing past the coffin.

(Additional reporting by Simon Gardner and Marianna Parraga in Caracas, Rosa Tania Valdes in Havana, Helen Popper in Buenos Aires, Daniel Bases in New York; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Kieran Murray and David Brunnstrom)

Tens of thousands of grieving supporters stood in lines that snaked around a grandiose military academy in an mass show of respect for Chavez, who died on Tuesday at age 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.

From soldiers in fatigues to officers in ceremonial dress, senior ministers to residents of the slums where Chavez was most loved during his 14 years in office, those in line vowed to defend his legacy and back his preferred successor, acting President Nicolas Maduro, in a new vote.

“We want to see the president, we want to be there for his last moments,” said Trinidad Nunez, 40, outside the building where Chavez’s corpse will lie in state until an official funeral on Friday.

“It is up to us to carry on the revolution and do what Chavez asked us to do: support Maduro.”

Chavez’s corpse was dressed in army uniform and the signature red beret he wore in a 1992 speech to the nation that launched his political career after a failed coup.

MADURO V CAPRILES VOTE LOOMS

There is uncertainty over exactly when a vote will be held in the OPEC country with the world’s largest oil reserves.

Though the constitution stipulates a new presidential poll must be held within 30 days, politicians say election authorities may not be ready in time and there is talk of a possible delay beyond that.

Maduro, 50, a former union leader who ended his education at high school before plunging into politics, looks certain to face opposition leader Henrique Capriles, 40, the centrist governor of Miranda state who lost to Chavez in last year’s election.

Opposition sources told Reuters on Wednesday they have agreed to again back Capriles, whose 44 percent vote share in 2012 was the best performance by any candidate against Chavez.

One recent opinion poll gave Maduro a strong lead, and both international markets and foreign diplomats are factoring in a probable win for him, meaning a continuation of ‘Chavista’ policies at least in the short term.

The tall and hefty Maduro, who lacks Chavez’s rhetorical zeal, was his foreign minister for six years before being named vice president in late 2012.

He has pledged to adhere to Chavez’s brand of ferociously nationalist politics and controversial economic policies that included regular seizures of private businesses as well as wildly popular social welfare programs.

RAPPROCHEMENT?

Some analysts believe that Maduro might eventually try to ease tensions with Western investors and the U.S. government. But just hours before Chavez’s death, he was accusing “imperialist” enemies of infecting the president with cancer and he expelled two American diplomats for alleged conspiracies.

Maduro may have to step down from his role as caretaker president to launch his candidacy. One official source told Reuters that Chavez’s nephew, Science Minister Jorge Arreaza, might step into that role.

Capriles, an athletic career politician and trained lawyer from a wealthy family, wants Venezuela to follow Brazil’s softer centre-left model.

The government still has not announced where Chavez will finally be buried. Many Venezuelans assume he will be laid to rest in his rural home town of Sabaneta in the heart of the “llanos” where he was born in a house with a dirt floor.

Some supporters, though, want him buried in a grand mausoleum Chavez ordered built in Caracas for the remains of 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar, his hero.

State media have been playing old Chavez speeches and songs over and over. Opposition supporters have been keeping a low profile, most simply expressing condolences but some privately exulting at the demise of a man they viewed as a dictator who trampled on opponents and ruined their economy.

At the wake, Venezuelans strained for a glimpse of Chavez, many welling up in tears as they reached his open casket.

“I told him ‘don’t worry, Nicolas Maduro will be the new president as you asked’,” said nurse Maria Fernandez, 51, after filing past the coffin.

(Additional reporting by Marianna Parraga; Editing Andrew Cawthorne and Doina Chiacu)