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Caracas, Venezuela, August 18, 2006—Manuel Rosales and President Hugo Chávez each swore in their campaign teams in separate events on Thursday for the upcoming December 3 presidential elections.
Rosales, 52, and Governor of the state of Zulia, has defeated Chávez’s party in the last two state governor elections. His team will be headed by newspaper editor Teodoro Petkoff and also includes Primero Justicia party leader Julio Borges, who will be candidate for vice-president.
Rosales is trying to position himself on the center-left of the political spectrum in terms of economic policy, with poverty and education major concerns. However, he also opposes the hard line against imperialism taken by Chávez, is against providing subsidized fuel to other countries such as Cuba, and rejects what he believes is the militarization of the country.
These policies will certainly appeal to the middle classes, that is, his natural supporters. They are sure to strike a chord, too, in some sections of the poor majority.
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2048President Chavez swears in his campaign team. Credit: ABN