Agenzia Fides

Caracas (Agenzia Fides) - Hugo Chávez Frías, with 54.42% of the vote (according to the local press) won the presidential election, whereas Henrique Capriles, managed to obtain 44.97%. Hugo Chávez was re-elected president and will hold the post until 2019.
The Catholic Church had asked the population to participate actively in the elections, with the hope of one day of peace and without violence (see Fides 28/09/2012). The Rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá, in Maracaibo, Father Eleuterio Cuevas said on Saturday, October 6, that "whoever is elected President in the elections, will be formally invited to the Mass in honor of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá to be held on November 18".
The invitation is significant because the ceremony will commemorate 303 years of the discovery of the image of the Morena Queen of Venezuelans, and will be presided over by Mgr. Ulises Gutierrez, Archbishop of Ciudad Bolivar. On this occasion we will recall the 70th anniversary of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá; there will be 25 Bishops and many priests from all over the country. The devotion to the "Virgen Chinita" is extremely felt in all Venezuelan people and dates back to 1700. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 08/10/2012)