Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez vowed to press forward with his socialist reforms after winning another six-year term at the helm of the oil-rich South American country . `` Today a new cycle of the Bolivarian government begins , '' he told a crowd of cheering supporters after election results were announced . `` I promise to be a better president every day . '' Chavez won more than 54 % of the vote to defeat Henrique Capriles Radonski in Sunday 's closely watched election . It was the fourth presidential election victory for Chavez , who has been in office since 1999 . After Chavez 's triumph , the answers to key questions about the South American 's future were unclear : Will opposition forces lose momentum or gain strength after Sunday 's defeat ? Will Chavez 's health affect his ability to govern ? And who could succeed him within his powerful political movement ? Venezuelan elections about more than Hugo Chavez 's legacy . Chavez 's vision of 21st century socialism emphasizes the use of state oil windfalls to fund social programs . On the campaign trail , he pointed to accomplishments in housing , education and health initiatives and acknowledged he needs to do more on crime and government bureaucracy . The ebullient leader is 58 years old and has been visibly weakened by two surgeries for cancer . He has kept secret the kind of cancer he has and his prognosis . In May , speculation intensified over who would succeed Chavez when he named 10 people to the highest circle of advisers to the president . But in July , he said he was cancer free . Share your images from the Venezuela election . Chavez 's victory gives him `` the opportunity to consolidate his policies '' and also reaffirms the approach his government has taken to international relations , said Miguel Tinker Salas , a Latin American history professor at Pomona College in California . Chavez 's influence over Latin America 's left-leaning governments has often rankled the United States , Venezuela 's largest trading partner . Venezuela is the fourth-largest exporter of oil to the United States . Despite that tight economic relationship , the two countries are far from close : Chavez often rails against the United States and its allies as `` imperialists '' and has supported controversial world leaders such as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran . The election result Sunday means the U.S. government will have to continue to deal with Chavez 's provocatively independent brand of diplomacy . `` I think Washington will have to start getting used to the fact that countries in Latin America , especially South America , are charting their own course , '' said Tinker Salas . Chavez , a vocal U.S. critic . In a triumphant speech from the balcony of the presidential palace Sunday , Chavez described his election victory as `` a perfect battle , and totally democratic . '' Fireworks peppered the sky over Caracas after the provisional results were announced . `` Today we have demonstrated -- comrades , compatriots -- that our democracy is one of the best in the world , '' Chavez told thousands of supporters who cheered and waved flags . He thanked those who had voted for him and acknowledged those who had voted against him , applauding their `` democratic attitude . '' Observers had said Capriles , 40 , represented a moderate alternative to Chavez , the charismatic standard-bearer of the Latin American left . Capriles had vowed not to end the social programs that Chavez had set up , and he had promised to fight corruption that had grown in the public sector . He appeared to have mounted one of the strongest challenges so far in Chavez 's 13 years in power . But his efforts ultimately proved insufficient to unseat the incumbent . Henrique Capriles Radonski : The candidate challenging Hugo Chavez . With 90 % of the ballots counted , Chavez had more than 54 % of votes , with nearly 45 % for Capriles , Venezuela 's National Electoral Council said Sunday night . Chavez had secured 7.4 million votes and Capriles 6.1 million votes , election officials said . Capriles ' supporters made a significant showing , bringing the opposition candidate the closest any presidential election opponent has come to defeating Chavez . But the high turnout was n't enough to win for Capriles ' campaign , which had criticized the Chavez administration for inefficiencies , infrastructure shortcomings and corruption . `` We began the construction of a path , '' the opposition coalition candidate told supporters after conceding his defeat . Capriles congratulated Chavez on his victory and urged him to take into account the different views expressed by voters . `` Being a good president means working for the vision of all Venezuelans , '' he said . For Venezuela 's president , a year of health struggles . The opposition will now have to try to maintain a unified front for regional elections scheduled to take place in December , Tinker Salas said . That may prove difficult , he said , since `` the one thing that brought them together was the figure of Chavez . '' `` There was great sadness , '' said journalist Alberto Echegaray , who watched as the results were announced at Capriles ' campaign headquarters Sunday night , `` but on the other hand happiness , because we have 6 million votes in Venezuela , we have a new leader in the region who is only 40 years old , and really , we are prepared to continue forward with the proposal we have . '' The country saw one of its high participation rates in decades Sunday , with almost 81 % of voters going to the polls , according to Tibisay Lucena , president of the National Electoral Council . In fact , some polling places were kept open two hours after their scheduled closing because of lines of voters waiting for ballots . Nearly 140,000 troops were deployed throughout the country to guard polling places and keep the peace , state-run VTV reported . Chavez : Venezuela arrests U.S. 'mercenary '
Chavez , president since 1999 , is re-elected to a six-year term . His defeated challenger urges him to govern for all Venezuelans . He does so and the country goes into recession. With 90 % of ballots counted , he has 54 % of the vote , officials say .