Venezuela: Manuel Rosales – rival of Hugo Chavez at presidential elections
August 20, 2006
Manuel Rosales, governor of the oil state Zulia, became the sole candidate from opposition. He is 53, he was borne in the town of Santa Barbara of the same state.
It is the enemies of the Bolivarian government, headed by Rosales, try to prove that «Hugo Chavez is not invincible». Dozens of articles and even one book under such title were published, where the opponents of the present regime, reasonably prove that the present president is not that powerful and popular with people as shown by recent polls (up to 60% of the electorate plan to vote for Chavez).
During the remaining three and a half months Rosales has not only to get transformed from the leader of regional level into a nation-wide one, but to develop and produce the electorate an attractive program of actions that could on equal terms compete the revolutionary-reformist project of Hugo Chavez. Has Rosales potential for this? It is not worth to rush the time. It is worth mentioning that he called under his banners basically bitter political enemies of the present president, for whom the only agenda point of the «program» is the «get rid of Chavez» at any cost. Nowadays at the agenda there is a democratic, electoral variant. However, the Chavists do not exclude that besides this «plan A» there exists another «plan B» using the most radical methods.
So far at press-conferences Rosales rather schematically mentions his program, but insists that not a single petro-dollar «will go to other countries» and will be spent exclusively for the needs of the Venezuelans.
The conclusion suggests itself that the Venezuelan-Cuban energy cooperation under Rosales will be cut down as well as the programs on modernisation of equipment for the Armed forces. And many other «cost-is-no-object» mega-projects of Chavez will be cut down (for instance, transnational gas pipe-line), although Rosales promises that he will keep the social missions of the present president (in the field of health care, education, popular housing construction).
In the Chavists camp Rosales is considered to be a «United States candidate» linking his nomination with frequent visits of the North American ambassador to the state of Zulia. Earlier, Hugo Chavez used to say more than once that the 2006 elections are a battle of «much higher level»: this is a battle between him and the US president Bush, no matter who will be the sole candidate of the opposition.
It is also worth mentioning that Chavez and his advocates are satisfied that the opposition has clarified itself with the candidate and agreed to «democratic rules of the game». In the past Chavez would sincerely exclaime with grief: «We have no real opposition!»
There is no doubt that Manuel Rosales will use the resources of election campaign «to the fullest» to demonstrate that he would be able to rule the country more effectively, to eradicate the crime, corruption, lack of professionalism in the work of the State machinery. Those who are not in the «Rosales camp» warn that his coming to power will mean return of those, who during the years of the 4th republic brought Venezuela to a deep crisis that is not yet overcome unti now, and these are revenge forces.