Posted on 08/19/2006 3:46:18 PM PDT by Valin
Opposition presidential candidate Manuel Rosales led several thousand supporters at his first campaign rally Saturday, where he accused President Hugo Chavez of not doing enough for the poor.
Rosales, a popular governor from the western state of Zulia, said it pained him to see some Venezuelans still living in shantytowns with leaky roofs or dirt floors.
"The poor have to come out from below," he told the cheering crowd outside the National Electoral Council, where he formally registered as a candidate. "I'm going to do away with poverty in Venezuela. Its oil wealth is for the entire nation."
Rosales, 54, pledged that if elected Dec. 3, he would create an oil-funded debit card that would be distributed to poor families and offer them an allowance to help pay for food, housing or setting up small businesses.
Chavez, who is seeking another six-year term, argues that his opponents are ignoring advancements made during his term. He said the government has created a network of social programs including state-subsidized food markets, new public housing and free health care provided by thousands of Cuban doctors.
Chavez, 52, said in a televised speech Saturday that statistics show unemployment is at 9.6 percent, down from 12.6 percent at the same time last year.
"Unemployment in Venezuela is headed toward zero," said Chavez. Official statistics also show poverty is down.
However, Rosales and other government opponents point to the large numbers of Venezuelans who sell their wares on the streets to survive, and argue that poverty is worse than Chavez acknowledges.
At a campaign rally Friday night, Chavez said his campaign is headed for a "knockout" victory and his goal of winning 10 million votes in the country of some 26 million people.
Recent polls show Chavez has a commanding lead, while Rosales and other contenders trail behind.
"The other candidates are candidates of the empire ... lackeys of imperialism," Chavez said in a reference to the U.S. government. "They're the Venezuela of the past, which will never, ever return."
Rosales rebuffed Chavez's accusation, saying: "I'm the candidate of the fatherland, of Venezuela."
"We don't have to bow before the United States, nor do we have to give away money to the bearded one, Fidel Castro," Rosales told the cheering crowd, dotted with the signs of various opposition parties.
Rosales emerged as the opposition's choice to face Chavez earlier this month when most other contenders dropped out of the race to support the governor's candidacy.
But not all opposition candidates have fallen in behind Rosales. Benjamin Rausseo, a highly popular standup comedian, said he remains in the race, along with a few others. Rausseo has said he could step aside in November if another candidate turns out to have the best shot at defeating Chavez.
Nonsense. Without Chavez, there would be no hope for socialism in Venezuela. Without Chavez, there is no bread line for the poor to dream for. And what is a future without dreams?
My sarcasm meter is twiching
I hope Rosales has some good bodyguards.
Sounds like Rosales is a socialist as well.
Sounds pinker than Chavez.
This guy will probably not live to see the sun come up tomorrow morning.
Glad to see opposition.
Alaska gives oil proceeds to its citizens, Alberta (Canada) just sent its citizens oil checks. I think paying it directly to people (proceeds of oil) instead of running it thru' lots of programs is a better way to go. Maybe everyone should get the same amount or maybe they should be investing in roads and other infrastructure, but when a govt. has oil revenues they have to do something with them.
Wow, a tough choice...
The Leninist or the Marxist?
'Course, a government that nationalizes industries is socialist by definition. Then it's faced with the decision of how to distribute revenue in the cause of creating equality.
rule of law and freedom are the best cures for poverty. I don't think that Chavez believes in either. To get elected in a country live Venezuela you have to express concern for the poor, hopefully this guy has concern for the poor.
Chavez' opponent wants to give directly to the poor from oil revenues, what should a nation do with oil revenues?
I hope he wins, even if he's a leftist like Chavex (which I doubt) he's critical of Cuba's Castro so he can't be as bad as Chavez.
He's as big a fool as Chavez.
It looks like a battle between the "chavez's" and the "chavez-nots" is beginning to take shape...
Alaska hasn't put oil under state control. It requires companies that pump oil out the the ground to pay royalty. That's standard operating procedure. If no-one person owns the land, or land ownership doesn't extend indefinitely underground, then it remains in public ownership and the public gets money from it some how. Giving it directly to people instead of creating bloated programs it the better way to go I think.
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