Maduro sworn in as 'Acting President'

Nicolas Maduro, of Venezuela was sworn in as acting President of the country on Saturday.Late Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez who died on friday, after a prolonged battle with cancer had named him as his successor.

Nicolas Maduro

Despite this, the opposition maintained that such a move was in violation of the country's constitution. The constitution also requires the vice president to step down from his post in order to run for president.

However, Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Maduro can swear in as acting president and also be presidential candidate in the elections to be within 30 days after Chavez's death.

"I swear in the name of absolute loyalty to Comandante Hugo Chavez that we will obey and defend this Bolivarian Constitution with the hard hand of the free people," Maduro said addressing the National Assembly while holding a copy of the Venezuelan constitution in his hand.

In protest, the main opposition coalition boycotted Maduro's swearing-in ceremony which was held just hours after the state funeral of Hugo Chavez.

Over 30 world leaders attended the funeral, including Cuban President Raul Castro, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.

The Russian delegation was led by the Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko; also attending were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and the president's special representative, Rosneft oil company President Igor Sechin, along with Russia's Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov and Rostechnologii head Sergei Chemezov.