Venezuelan military pledges allegiance to new president

Venezuela's Armed Forces pledged allegiance to newly elected President Nicolas Maduro, who was voted into office after the recent death of Hugo Chavez.Defense Minister Diego Molero, accompanied by senior military officers, on Friday presented Maduro with the military symbols of office as the new commander in chief of the country."On behalf of our liberators, representing the father of the nation, Simon Bolivar, and the supreme commander, Hugo Chavez, who took up the banner of independence, women and men of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces recognize the president of constitutional Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, as our commander in chief," Molero said.He added that the presentation obeyed the decision of the people on April 14 in a free and democratic election in accordance with Venezuela's constitution and law, Xinhua reported.Maduro was granted a red baton as a symbol of military command of the army and a flag of honor for his inauguration as president."I received these in the name of people, country and Commander Hugo Chavez, as the first Chavista commander, a worker commander in chief, I assumed," Maduro said.Maduro was sworn into office earlier Friday at a ceremony in the National Assembly that was attended by representatives from more than 60 countries.Maduro, who narrowly won the election with 50.75 percent of the vote, will serve until 2019.