Chavez cements dominant position

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez pledged to deepen his socialist revolution after a comfortable election victory that could extend his divisive leadership of the Opec nation to two decades.

The new six-year term clears the way for Chavez to consolidate state control over Venezuela’s economy, possibly with more nationalisations, and continue his support for left-wing allies and around the world.

The win cements his status as a dominant figure in modern Latin American history and an icon of the political left. But the slimmer margin of victory — 10 percentage points, down from 25 in 2006 — reflected growing frustration among Venezuelans at day-to-day problems such as crime and blackouts, which Chavez will be pressed to tackle.