(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/121008-chavez-1a.photoblog600.jpg)Jorge Silva / ReutersVenezuelan President Hugo Chavez celebrates from a balcony at Miraflores Palace in Caracas on Sunday night.By NBC News staff and wire reportsCARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez scored a comfortable election victory that could extend his rule to 20 years and vowed to deepen his self-styled socialist revolution after a bitterly fought race against a youthful rival who has galvanized Venezuela's opposition.
Tens of thousands of ecstatic supporters thronged the streets around the presidential palace in downtown Caracas, pumping fists in the air and shouting Chavez's name after the former soldier beat opposition candidate Henrique Capriles by more than 9 percentage points. However, Chavez only got 135,000 more votes this time around than he did six years ago, while the opposition boosted its tally by 1.85 million.
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