Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has hailed his party's majority victories in key local polls but recognised opposition gains in at least three states and the capital Caracas.
A record of more than 65% of 17m eligible voters turned out to vote for governors, mayors and heads of regional councils in Sunday's polls.
‘Who can say there's a dictatorship in Venezuela?’ President Chavez said, in a jab at his many critics.
The polls were seen as a key test for anti-US Mr Chavez and his drive for nationalisation and social projects, amid growing discontent over escalating crime, corruption and inflation.
Candidates from President Chavez's socialist party won 17 states out of 22, first results showed, in the vote which came almost 10 years after he was first elected.
His candidates also won back three states previously held by dissidents from his party.
President Chavez, an allay to Iran, Russia and Cuba's Fidel Castro, was expected to use the victory as a mandate to push for support to abolish term limits to try to win a third six-year term in 2012.
