South America, Presidential Election | featured news

Venezuela awoke to political turmoil Monday after Hugo Chavez's chosen successor, Nicolas Maduro, won the country’s presidential election by such a tight margin that his rival demanded a recount. The country, already shaken by the death from cancer of its dominating leader, faces uncertainty after Maduro secured 50.7 percent of the votes in Sunday's election, compared with 49.1 percent for Henrique Capriles -- a difference of just 235,000 ballots.

A presidential election to replace late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez will be held on 14 April, the country's electoral commission says.

A couple on a motorcycle fired shots into a bus carrying Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado and her supporters Saturday, a campaign spokesman told CNN en Español.

Millions of voters lined up across Brazil's vast territory in a heated presidential runoff pitting Dilma Rousseff, a former guerrilla-fighter-turned-chief-of-staff against Sao Paulo Governor Jose Serra.

Brazilian ruling party candidate Dilma Rousseff's lead narrowed in two polls released on Saturday on the eve of the presidential election, raising the prospect she may be forced into a runoff against her main rival.

BOGOTA (Reuters) - The race for Colombia's presidency began on Saturday, with former defense minister Juan Manuel Santos the favorite after the South American nation's popular incumbent was blocked from running for a third term.