Maduro vows to complete Chavez's Venezuelan revolution
Tearful acting president vows to carry on work of Chavez; rival says Venezuela needs change
Venezuela's acting president, Nicolas Maduro, tearfully vowed to complete Hugo Chavez's socialist revolution, while rival Henrique Capriles promised change at emotional rallies to wrap up their bitter campaign.
Maduro was joined on stage by the late leader's friend, Argentine football icon Diego Maradona, who signed and kicked balls to tens of thousands of people clad in red in Caracas ahead of tomorrow's election.
Parakeets were released and Maduro put one on each shoulder in a nod to his assertion last week that Chavez's spirit had visited him in the form of a "little bird" - a story the opposition seized on to mock the late leader's chosen successor.
The final rallies closed a brief campaign that was marked by name-calling, allegations of assassination plots and the transformation of Chavez into a semi-religious figure in the politically polarised nation.
Before Maduro's speech, the crowd sang along as a large screen showed a video of Chavez singing the national anthem under the rain during his last campaign rally in October.
Surrounded by his cabinet, Maduro, 50, pledged to fulfil his mentor's oil-funded socialist revolution, which brought popular education, health and food programs to the poor.
"We, his sons and daughters, will guarantee that this is the case. We swear that the revolution will continue," he said, calling Chavez "Christ the redeemer of the poor," one month after he lost his battle with cancer.