In Venezuela's brief but raucous presidential campaign, the ruling party has let Hugo Chavez do the talking. On state television, he provides words of wisdom in frequent ads, and loudspeakers at campaign rallies belt out recordings of him singing the national anthem.
And then there's Chavez's last speech, repeatedly played on the campaign trail, in which the self-styled revolutionary tells Venezuelans that his "irrevocable, absolute" wish is that they elect Nicolas Maduro as president should he be unable to serve. Chavez died last month at 58. Maduro, Chavez's confidant for 20 years, is interim president.
But he is taking no chances as he tries to fend off a challenge from opposition leader Henrique Capriles in Sunday's election, which will decide whether Chavez's socialist system lives on for years to come.