Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez faces his first serious challenger after 14 years as head of state. If he wins, voters will have affirmed his socialist agenda – Chavez uses the huge profits from oil experts here to benefit the poor. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.By NBC News staff and wire services
Follow @NBCNewsWorld (http://twitter.com/NBCNewsWorld) Updated at 11:06 p.m. ET: CARACAS - With 90 percent of the votes in, President Hugo Chavez was declared the winner in the Venezuela presidential election Sunday night. Chavez received 54 percent of the vote to serve an unprecedented third term after he changed the country's constitution, NBC News reported.
Jubilant Chavez supporters set off fireworks as the results were announced. Election officials said opposition challenger Henrique Capriles won 45 percent of the vote.
Earlier in the day, Chavez said he would accept the results of the country's election, whether he wins or loses.
"We'll respect the results, whatever they are," he told reporters after casting his vote in Caracas. He also said voters were turning out in massive numbers in Sunday's election.
NBCNews