Opposition candidate wins in Venezuela’s cradle of Chavismo

By REGINA GARCIA CANO and JUAN PABLO ARRAEZ
Associated Press

BARINAS, Venezuela (AP) — Voters in the home state of Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chávez have picked an opposition candidate for governor in a closely watched special election called after the contender representing that faction in November’s regular contest was retroactively disqualified as he was ahead in the vote count. Sergio Garrido on Sunday defeated former foreign minister Jorge Arreaza, whose campaign drew ruling party heavy hitters in an all-out effort to keep the bastion of Chavismo under their control. Results published by the National Electoral Council showed Garrido with 55.4% of the votes, while Arreaza received 41.3%. The candidates campaigned for roughly five weeks after the country’s highest court disqualified opposition candidate Freddy Superlano and the special contest was scheduled.