Presidential election campaign held in Venezuela

CARACAS - A 10-day campaign started Tuesday in Venezuela for the upcoming presidential election later this month, and candidates are expected to present their proposals to the entire nation.

Nicolas Maduro, candidate of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), was listed as the favorite in all surveys conducted so far, with a wide margin of nearly 20 percentage points.

Venezuela's acting President and presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro speaks to supporters during a campaign rally in the state of Barinas, April 2, 2013. Venezuelans will vote in the presidential elections on April 14. [Photo/Agencies]

According to results released Monday by local pollster Hinterlaces, Maduro, also the country's acting president after the death of Hugo Chavez, would get 55 percent of the vote against 35 percent for opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who was defeated by Chavez in last year's election.

Maduro kicked off his campaign in the central state of Barinas, the birthplace of Chavez. The PSUV has said Maduro is symbolically replicating a slogan taken by Chavez during his first presidential campaign in 1999 -- "From Sabaneta de Barinas to Miraflores (the presidential palace)".

On his motivation to start the campaign from Chavez's birthplace, the acting president said, "We come to make a commitment to the land of his birth. We'll never fail to continue until the end of socialism construction."

He called for the construction of a collective revolution, in which unity is a prerequisite, saying, "There is a political-military collective leadership of the revolution we have to consolidate."

Maduro said he would be elected president "in the name of Commander Hugo Chavez and his dream of protecting the people".

He also reaffirmed his commitment to continuing Chavez's legacy and comply with a seven-year development plan for 2013-2019, which will be one of the first actions of his government after the election.

Meanwhile, Capriles, the right-wing candidate with the support of the Democratic Unity Roundtable, began his journey in the northeastern state of Monagas.

He urged Venezuelans to be brave as there was hope for him to win the election. "I'm not opposed. I am the solution to problems in Venezuela, but I only need each one of you," Capriles said.

The candidate added that although the opposition is not favored by the authorities, it has the support of the Venezuelan people.

"We do not have CNE (National Electoral Council); we do not have TSJ (Supreme Court of Justice), or Prosecution, or Comptroller; we do not have the checkbook of PDVSA (Petroleum of Venezuela), but we have the strength of people," the opposition leader said.

Capriles criticized the ruling party of not having a concrete proposal, saying it only hid behind the image of Chavez.

"Today Venezuelans have a very difficult struggle, and those who are there in the government are not interested in making life easier for any of you. They are interested that this country remains divided, care about fighting with others," he said.

The opposition leader called on Venezuelans to defeat uncertainty and vote for him. "We may have fear for a country without advance, going backward, but no one can be afraid of progress. We need a country you give opportunities and I'm here for that."

The presidential election will be held on April 14 after the death of Chavez.

The CNE has said the campaign will close on April 11, calling on political organizations to respect the rules of publicity and undertake their activities with respect for other candidates and the Venezuelan people.