The opposition's greatest challenge will be to retain control of the country's biggest cities – especially the Caracas metropolitan area and the oil city of Maracaibo.
For some local residents, the killing opened a window onto a world they knew little about: a struggling Central American country where poverty, crime and natural disasters have driven thousands to the Washington area, and where corruption and military intervention have weakened a poor but once-stable democracy.
The opposition says Sunday's vote is a referendum on Maduro, as Venezuelans cope with the fastest inflation in the world, blackouts, water cuts and a surge in violence.
Their sound was a lilting, almost sweet sort of oompah music, driven by a tuba and an accordion, along with guitar, bass and drums. Band members brandished an imitation assault weapon on stage and had a bazooka in the van that would become their stage trademark.
South African President Jacob Zuma declared Dec. 8 as a national day of prayer and reflection. Memorial services will be held in all nine provinces in the week preceding the funeral.
