The incumbent president was born on July 28, 1954, in Venezuela's Sabaneta state. He graduated from the country's military academy in 1975 with a master's degree in military science and art. He also studied politics at Simon Bolivar University from 1989 to 1990.

In February 1992, when he was a paratroop officer, Chavez led a failed coup against then president Carlos Andres Perez and was jailed until 1994.

In December 1998, Chavez won the presidency. In 1999, he won 70 percent of votes cast in a referendum on a new constitution that expanded the executive powers.

Chavez was re-elected under the new constitution in 2000.

On April 11, 2002, he was ousted in a brief coup by business leaders and dissident military officers. But just three days later, troops loyal to Chavez returned him to power.

Capriles, a lawyer and candidate of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Unity, was born in Caracas on July 11, 1972. He studied law at Andres Bello Catholic University.

Capriles served as governor of Miranda state from 2008 to 2012 and stepped down in June to hit the campaign trail. Prior to that, he was the last vice-president of the dissolved Congress and president of the Chamber of Deputies between 1999 and 2000.

He was a founding member and leader of the center-right Justice First party and served as its deputy national coordinator until 2008.

During his presidential campaign, Capriles has promised a major shift in foreign policy, including canceling arms purchases from Russia and distancing Venezuela from Iran and Belarus.

Xinhua