Venezuela President Hugo Chavez has stepped up attacks against rival Henrique Capriles, accusing the opposition candidate's campaign of receiving mafia and drug trafficking funds. Chavez did not provide more details to back his accusation.The opposition says 80 per cent of the Capriles campaign funds come from raffles, street fund-raising and internet donations. Chavez opponents counter that the president misuses public funds to promote his re-election bid.
The president, in power for almost 14 years, is the favoured to win another six-year term but Capriles has given Chavez his biggest challenge yet, closing the gap to 10 points in the latest opinion poll.