Leader of Venezuela's opposition Henrique Capriles gives news conference

(9 Mar 2013)
1. Various of Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles arriving for news conference
2. Camera cutaway
3. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Henrique Capriles, Venezuelan opposition leader and Miranda State Governor:
"Under these conditions, this is a completely false swearing in. Nobody elected Nicolas for president and I tell him from here, I know he will see this news conference; Nicolas, people did not choose you as president, the people did not vote for you, brother."
4. Camera cutaway
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Henrique Capriles, Venezuelan opposition leader and Miranda State Governor:
"What's the fear, Nicolas? We are respectful of the moment in which the country is living, but we are not able to tolerate the abuse of power."
6. Wide of Capriles speaking
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Henrique Capriles, Venezuelan opposition leader and Miranda State Governor:
"Don't think that nothing happens here, while you were there at the funeral of President Chavez, the Supreme Tribunal was launching this little pearl (the decision to allow Maduro to be sworn in as president)."
8. Mid of Capriles
9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Henrique Capriles, Venezuelan opposition leader and Miranda State Governor:
"The Cuban government is not going to command in Venezuela, here we are millions of Venezuelan people that will defend the sovereignty, the self-determination, the no intromission of any government, neither the government of the United States or the government of Cuba."
10. Various of Capriles leaving
STORYLINE:
Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles on Friday dismissed the swearing in of Nicolas Maduro as acting president as unconstitutional and "completely false".
Speaking at a news conference an hour before the swearing in ceremony, Capriles had a stark message for Hugo Chavez's chosen successor.
"Nicolas, the people did not choose you as president, the people did not vote for you," he said.
Maduro was sworn-in on Friday, against the objections of Venezuela's political opposition.
"We are respectful of the moment in which the country is living, but we are not able to tolerate the abuse of power," Capriles added.
The country's 1999 constitution says the National Assembly speaker becomes interim president in the event of a president-elect's death or inability to be sworn in.
Late President Hugo Chavez designated Maduro as his successor before he died on Tuesday of cancer.
Maduro had been Chavez's vice president.
The constitution also says a presidential election should be called within 30 days.
Maduro has been picked as the presidential candidate of Chavez's socialist party.
Capriles is widely expected to run against Maduro in the coming vote.
Earlier, Capriles said Maduro used Chavez's funeral to campaign for the presidency, in violation of the constitution.


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