On repeat - Election fraud fears as Maduro wins again

Nicolás Maduro has been declared the winner of Venezuela's presidential election by the governmentcontrolled electoral authority - a result that appeared to dash opposition hopes of ending his authoritarian, socialist rule. It was immediately challenged by rivals and several governments in the region and beyond.

- Patricia Torres and Tom Phillips in CARACAS and Sam Jones in MADRID

After a six-hour delay in releasing the results of last Sunday's poll prompted international concern, Venezuela's electoral council claimed Maduro had won with 51.21% of votes compared with 44.2% for his rival, the former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia.

The council said that with about 80% of votes counted, Maduro had secured more than 5m compared with González's 4.4m.

Independent observers had described the election as the most arbitrary in recent years, even by the standards of an authoritarian regime that started with Maduro's mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

Critics blame Maduro for leading Venezuela into a crippling economic and social crisis, as well as turning the country into an increasingly repressive state where political opponents are routinely jailed and tortured.

'Concerns'

The election in numbers

51.2%

Maduro's share of votes, according to electoral council

4.4m Votes received by González

80%

Amount by which Venezuela's economy shrank in past decade