VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro has won a third term in power, the National Electoral Council announced early yesterday, though the anti-socialist opposition immediately contested the outcome and the United States refused to recognise it.

Mr Maduro received 51 per cent of the votes cast on Sunday, with 44 per cent going to retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez, according to official results.

But opposition leader Maria Corina Machado claimed that Mr Gonzalez had won an “overwhelming” victory, based on voting tallies that the campaign received from representatives at about 40 per cent of polling stations.