Venezuela will elect a new president today. The presidential campaign officially ended late Thursday but acting president Nicolas Maduro has regularly appeared on state-run television to appeal for votes. Maduro is the hand-picked successor to late president Chavez. Meanwhile, opposition candidate Henrique Capriles has accused state media of "shamelessly violating the electoral rules". Many observers expect him to contest the results of the election if he doesn’t win. Historian Victor Bulmer-Thomas says that, whoever wins, the next president will face big economic challenges.
