The opposition Henri Falcón of party Avanzada Progressive wants to compete in presidential election in April in Venezuela as a counter-candidate of head of State Nicolás Maduro. His campaign advisor Eduardo Semtei told news agency AP that Falcón would be running. Thus, former governor would be only challenger of Maduro to date.

With his candidacy, Falcón would also break with rest of opposition alliance from around 20 parties, which announced a boycott of preferred election on 22 April. The opposition complained that conditions for a fair election in Venezuela were not given.

Maduro himself officially made his own candidacy on Tuesday. On state television, he was driving on cargo area of a red pickup truck through streets of Caracas, accompanied by cheering followers. Subsequently, he signed document for his candidacy at National Electoral Council.

Maduro wants to uphold Chávez's heritage

"I will uphold legacy of giant Hugo Chávez," he cried before followers in Caracas. Maduro had been chosen scarcely as its successor after death of left-wing populist Chávez 2013.

Venezuela owns world's largest oil reserves, but economy and politics of country are in deep crisis. Maduro's opponents accuse him of having driven land economically into abyss and of increasingly authoritarian rule. Many of opposition's leaders are currently in custody, are under arrest or have fled into exile.

Maduro, however, launched election campaign with attacks on opposition: y are only not to vote because y are afraid of defeat, said Maduro.

Date Of Update: 28 February 2018, 12:03