Opposition wins tense Venezuela vote in Chavez home region

Venezuela's opposition won a historic victory in a tense gubernatorial election in a region ruled by the family of late president Hugo Chavez for more than two decades.

Barely known until a few weeks ago, opposition lawmaker Sergio Garrido, 54, defeated the ruling party's candidate Jorge Arreaza, 48, who served as the country's vice president and foreign minister and was Chavez's son-in-law.

According to results announced late Sunday by the National Electoral Council (CNE), Garrido won 55.36 percent of the vote in Barinas state against Arreaza's 41.27 percent.

"The noble people of Barinas have scored a victory," Garrido wrote on Twitter. "With the unity and strength of each of you, we have succeeded ... succeeded in overcoming obstacles and adversity despite all that we have had to face."

Arreza conceded defeat before the results were announced, tweeting "We did not achieve the goal" of winning.

Sunday's rerun gubernatorial election in Barinas state, where Chavez's father and brothers have held political power since 1998, was conducted amid widespread claims of ruling party interference.

The repeat vote was held after the initial election was cancelled by a court mid-count last year on the brink of an opposition victory that unnerved the establishment, and thousands of police and soldiers kept a watchful eye on Sunday's vote.