CARACAS: Venezuela’s former vice-president Nicolas Maduro took over as acting president at the swearing-in ceremony held in Caracas on late Friday, hours after a tearful farewell to Hugo Chavez during a rousing state funeral for the firebrand leftist.
Chavez, who died on March 5 after a two-year battle with cancer, had named Mr Maduro as his chosen successor.
However, the main opposition coalition boycotted Maduro’s swearing-in, saying that it was unconstitutional. It argues that the constitution calls for the National Assembly speaker to take over as acting president.
As acting president, Maduro is expected to call elections within 30 days.
“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,” Maduro, holding a copy of the Venezuelan constitution in his hand, said at the National Assembly.
DND
