Venezuela's Maduro enjoys big lead over rival

Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro (C) greets supporters during a gathering in Caracas March 16, 2013 in this picture provided by the Miraflores Palace. [Photo/Agencies]

CARACAS - Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro enjoyed a commanding 14.4 percentage point lead over his main rival, the opposition leader Henrique Capriles, ahead of the next month's election, a poll showed here Monday.

According to the survey published by local pollster Datanalisis, Maduro would win 49.2 percent of the vote compared with 34.8 percent for Capriles in the April 14 presidential election.

The poll was initiated last Monday, when Maduro, the 50-year-old former bus driver and Capriles, the 40-year-old governor of central Miranda state, formally registered their candidacies with the country's election authority.

Maduro, who was sworn in as acting president on March 8, will run in the election to succeed Hugo Chavez who died at the age of 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.

"Maduro will maintain the advantage during the presidential race," political analysts Alejandro Grisanti and Alejandro Arreaza told reporters.

The poll also showed that 65 percent of respondents believed Maduro will win the election, while another 15 percent supported Capriles's final victory.