The wives of two mayors jailed over protests against Venezuelan President Nicola Maduro, have stepped into their husbands shoes and won landslide elections.

The two women campaigned for the Democratic Unity coalition in San Cristobal and San Diego which are known as hotbeds of opposition to Maduro so the election result came as no surprise.

Venezuela’s president has so far weathered the protests which began in February and which have so far left over 40 people dead.