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Kerry Encourages Venezuela Recount

CARACAS, Venezuela — Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that Venezuela should hold a recount of votes cast in its presidential election, which the country’s electoral authorities say was narrowly won by a protégé of former President Hugo Chávez.

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Nicolás Maduro greeting supporters in Caracas after it was announced that he won a vote to succeed President Hugo Chávez.Credit...Meridith Kohut for The New York Times

The protégé, Nicolás Maduro, was declared the winner of Sunday’s special election with a margin of less than two percentage points over the opposition candidate, Henrique Capriles Radonski.

Mr. Capriles has refused to recognize the result, but has shown no hard evidence to back up his insistence that he won. He has also said there were numerous irregularities in the voting. On Wednesday, he formally submitted his request for a recount.

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Supporters of the newly elected Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, celebrated on the streets of Caracas, while the opposition engaged in energetic protests, with many demanding a recount.

Mr. Kerry, in comments to a House committee, said, “We think there ought to be a recount.” He added that he had not yet evaluated whether Washington would recognize Mr. Maduro’s victory.

In a televised meeting with governors on Wednesday, Mr. Maduro responded, saying: “Take your eyes off of Venezuela, John Kerry. Get out of here. Enough interventionism.”

Also on Wednesday, the president of the Supreme Court, Luisa Morales, rejected the idea of a recount, saying it was impossible.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Kerry Encourages Venezuela Recount. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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