On one side the charismatic Hugo Chavez, committed Bolivarian, advocate of good relations with all Latin American countries, especially with Fidel Castro, and enemy of President George Bush. On the other side the challenger Manuel Rosales, governor of the state of Zulia, a new man for Venezuela with an enviable past record. The election date is set for 3rd December. According to surveys, Chavez has a 20-30% lead above Rosales. The Venezuelan electoral campaign officially closed on Thursday.

 

First up, Rosales. “I don't want to be a president that controls all branches of the state’s power. I want to be a president who uses these powers to control, direct and supervise my government – help me to become president”. Arms raised to the crowd that triumphantly brandish Venezuelan flags, wearing a stripy white shirt and a dazzling smile: this is Manuel Rosales, leader of A New Era in the oil-rich state of Zulia.
From a stage on the road that heads east from Caracas, Rosales has closed his electoral campaign in advance, without holding back on criticism and accusations for his opponent. “They can’t give our riches away to other countries”, said Rosales in relation to the oil being sent to Cuba, Haiti and other nations that are friends of Chavez. The argument of the country’s resources is precious to both candidates and is one of the areas that they have given much attention to. Yet the major controversies occurred when Rosales’ political group blamed the government of preventing his party’s supporter of reaching the rally by diverting the streets due to road works. Meanwhile Rosales’ government programme concentrated highly on the redistribution of the wealth accumulated from oil revenue, on the creation of a guaranteed minimum wage for the unemployed, on improving social welfare and on war against political and religious discrimination. Also in schools – Rosales has very clear ideas on education, he wants to create an instructive model that provides a high level of teaching from the first year to the last. Moreover, he has not forgotten to include a government health programme – he wants to take it to high standards starting with the construction of a tight network of hospitals and the adoption of schemes for pregnant women, newborn babies and the elderly. Along with protecting the environment, international relations, industrial and economic politics and property rights, the picture to improve the quality of life for Venezuelans is complete. If he wins, Rosales’ first task would be to distribute the ‘Mi Negra’ debit cards, an account with which the poor can receive a percentage of the proceeds from oil revenue that is currently “given away to other nations”.

 
Next up Chavez. With his classic bright red shirt, Chavez also does not hold back (like his adversary) from criticism and elaborate speeches during his two-hour rally, where he confirms that he is certainly not a politician that sits back and watches, but one that seeks to affirm his third presidential term. When he closes his electoral campaign in Caracas, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, it is obvious that he believes in a final victory. “We are prepared to show Rosales a lesson. We will defeat by knock out, like a boxer”. There is no room in Venezuela for any other project other that the Bolivarian revolution”.
Portraying Rosales as the imperialist candidate, the current president reminded the cheering crowd that “we must not forget that we are about to collide with the Devil, the imperialist government of the US. This is our true adversary. The most powerful Empire on the planet”. To the international observers who will be present in the Venezuelan polling stations on Sunday, he has confirmed that elections will be carried out in an orderly manner. “You will be witnesses to another huge victory of the Venezuelan people, you will tell the world the truth!”

Alessandro Grandi