Venezuela set a date for the first election following the departure of late President Hugo Chavez, as the opposition announced it had chosen a candidate.

Venezuela set a date for the first election following the departure of late President Hugo Chavez, as the opposition announced it had chosen a candidate.

The national electoral council announced that April 14 is to be the date of the coming vote to succeed Chavez.

The council also said candidates will be able to register on Sunday and Monday and that the campaign would be short, lasting from April 2 to April 11.

The announcement on Saturday comes just one day after Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's handpicked successor, was sworn in as acting president in a ceremony largely boycotted by the opposition.

Shortly after the date was set, the main opposition coalition announced it had unanimously chosen Henrique Capriles, who lost to Chavez in the October election, as its unity candidate again.

"We have all recognized Henrique Capriles Radonski as the person to embody this option of change," said Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, executive secretary of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD).

Capriles wrote on Twitter that he was "grateful" for the offer and would announce soon whether he will accept the nomination.

Political hostilities had already begun just hours after Venezuela and more than 30 foreign leaders gave Chavez a rousing state funeral, with Maduro railing against the opposition and capitalism following his inauguration.

During the inauguration ceremony of Maduro, the former vice president vowed "absolute loyalty" to Chavez before donning the presidential sash, his voice cracking as he declared: "Sorry for our pain and tears; but this presidency belongs to our Commandant."

Before Maduro was sworn in, Capriles denounced the inauguration as a "constitutional fraud" and abuse of power by the government.
"Nicolas, nobody elected you president. The people didn't vote for you, kid," Capriles said.