President Hugo Chavez won re-election in Venezuela by a wide margin Sunday, the Associated Press reported. Challenger Manuel Rosales conceded defeat but vowed to remain in opposition. Minutes after the results were announced, Chavez appeared on the balcony of the presidential palace singing the national anthem. He pledged to deepen his effort to transform Venezuela into a more egalitarian society. "Long live the socialist revolution! Destiny has been written," Chavez shouted to thousands of flag-waving supporters. With 78 percent of voting stations reporting, Chavez had 61 percent to 38 percent for challenger Rosales, said Tibisay Lucena, head of the country's elections council. Chavez had nearly 6 million votes versus 3.7 million for Rosales, according to the partial tally. Final turnout figures among the 15.9 million eligible voters were not available but an official bulletin of partial results showed it at 75 percent, making Chavez's lead insurmountable. "We recognize that today they defeated us," Rosales told cheering supporters at his campaign headquarters. "We will continue in this struggle."
