Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The wives of two Venezuelan opposition mayors ousted during anti-government protests have won landslide victories in special elections to choose their husbands' replacements.
Patricia Gutierrez carried the western city of San Cristobal with 73 percent of the votes Sunday, while Rosa Brandonisio won in San Diego with 87 percent.
Brandonisio's husband, Enzo Scarano, was sentenced by Venezuela's Supreme Court in March to more than 10 months in prison after President Nicolas Maduro likened the mayor's refusal to remove street barricades set up by protesters to a coup.
Gutierrez's spouse, Daniel Ceballos, received a year in jail.
Both cities saw some of the worst violence during this year's unrest, in which 42 people have been killed.
Maduro warned on Sunday that his government may have to intervene again if tensions resume.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.