Venezuela's Maduro says U.S. "far-right" wants to kill Capriles

A vandalised campaign poster of opposition leader and presidential candidate Henrique Capriles is pictured in Caracas March 13, 2013.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan acting President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday that "far right" figures in the United States were plotting to kill opposition leader Henrique Capriles.

"We have detected plans by the far-right, linked to the groups of (former Bush administration officials) Roger Noriega and Otto Reich, to make an attempt against the opposition presidential candidate," Maduro said in a televised speech.

Maduro gave no more details, but he said the government had sent a senior general to meet with Capriles' team.

Tensions are running high ahead of a new presidential election following the death of Hugo Chavez last week. The vote will pit Maduro, Chavez's heir apparent, against Capriles, a centrist state governor who lost an election to Chavez in October.

Earlier this week, Capriles' team said the opposition candidate had not registered his candidacy in person on Monday because they had received information that an attack against him was planned. Aides delivered his papers instead.

In January, Maduro said unidentified groups had entered the South American country with the aim of assassinating him and the head of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello.

(Reporting by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Sandra Maler)