Venezuelans head to presidential polls

CARACAS, Venezuela, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Early returns in Venezuela's presidential election showed incumbent leader Hugo Chavez held a commanding lead over free-market advocate Manuel Rosales.

Initial exit polls showed Chavez with at least 60 percent of the vote.

An estimated 16 million people headed to the polls, which closed early Sunday evening, Globovision TV reported.

Heading into Sunday's election, Chavez held a commanding lead in polls over Rosales to win another six-year term in office.

The Venezuelan leader is lauded by the country's vast poor population for using oil revenue to fund sweeping education and healthcare programs.

Critics accuse Chavez of trying to create a Cuba-style communist regime in Venezuela.