Connect to share and comment  Venezuela votes to choose Chavez
successor   Venezuelans will elect Hugo Chavez's successor
Sunday in a duel between the heir of the late leader's socialist
revolution, Nicolas Maduro, and an opposition vowing change in
the divided nation.  One month after Chavez died, his leftist
legacy goes on the line after a swift but bitter race between
Maduro, the acting president who casts himself as the late
leader's "son," and opposition leader Henrique Capriles.  Riding
a wave of sympathy over his mentor's death, Maduro led opinion
polls as he promised to continue the oil-funded policies that
cut poverty from 50 to 29 percent through popular health,
education and food programs.  But Capriles hopes that discontent
over the nation's soaring murder rate, chronic food shortages,
high inflation and regular power outages will give him an upset
victory after 14 years under Chavez.  Maduro has Chavez's well-
organized electoral machine behind him, with supporters expected
to wake up voters befor