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'Manuel Antonio Rosales Guerrero' (b. 12 December 1952, in Santa Bárbara del Zulia) is a Venezuelan politician and current governor of the State of Zulia. Rosales was a presidential candidate, representing a broad spectrum of parties and organizations opposed to incumbent president Hugo Chávez in the 3 December 2006 presidential election. Other presidential opposition candidates agreed, on 9 August, to withdraw and support Rosales. A primary election scheduled for 13 August was cancelled, and Rosales candidacy was formally announced.^[1] Rosales said that the backbone of his government program would be the social arena, saying it would be a "sound and well defined" program, including a "fair allocation of oil revenues by means of two axes – minimum wage for all unemployed and direct contribution to the underprivileged".Rosales's candidacy formally announced. ''El Universal'' (9 August 2006)..

Contents

Biography

Criticism

Notes

External links

Biography

Rosales is the current governor of Zulia State; he previously served as the mayor of Maracaibo (1996–2000) before being elected to the Zulia governorship in 2000; he was re-elected governor in 2004. He founded the A New Era (''Un Nuevo Tiempo'') political party in 2000.Contest for Venezuelan Presidency begins. ''El Universal'' (1 August 2006).

'Zulia State Governor Election, 2004 Results' Source: CNE data

Candidates Votes % Manuel Rosales 483924 54% Alberto Gutiérrez 397927 44%

'Zulia State Governor Election, 2000 Results' Source: CNE data

Candidates Votes % Manuel Rosales 325733 51%

Rosales is married to Eveling Trejo de Rosales; they have eight children (Ender Manuel, Jenny, Manuel Alejandro, Marenel, Marebeth, Carlos Manuel, Manuel Andrés, and Mervin).Atrevete con Manuel Rosales. Accessed 23 August 2006.Zulia State Government. Official curriculum of Manuel Antonio Rosales Guerrero. Accessed 9 August 2006. He is a teacher, and a co-founder of Sur del Lago University. He was a youth leader with Acción Democrática (AD), and a congressman in the Zulia Legislative Assembly (1983-1994).

Criticism

Chávez supporters accuse Rosales of participating in the 2002 coup attempt by signing the self-proclamation of Pedro Carmona as President of Venezuela in April 2002. He declared that it was during a "moment of confusion and that it was done with the best intentions for the sake of the country".^[2]
On 24 November 2006 Venezuelan state television made available to the public a copy of the regional newspaper ''La Verdad'' dated 13 April 2002 where Rosales can be seen flanked by military coupsters and the representatives of the Catholic Church. He was also quoted as saying "From Zulia we have to back the government junta and its president Pedro Carmona, because at this moment they are our conductors, they are our leaders." He was also quoted as saying "Any Mayor or Governor that disavows the new institutional order, must leave his post... Because we do not want them in Venezuela".^[3]
Rosales appeared on a Miami TV station where he said "there is roughly 33% of what they call ''chavismo'', or whatever this government system is called, the majority of them are parasites who live off the government and are subsidized by the state". Venezuelan State Television made the video available.^[4] He later flatly denied having called anyone a parasite, stating he had never offended a single Venezuelan.^[5]

Notes

1. Súmate: there will be no primary elections. ''El Universal'' (8 August 2006).
2. ''AFP'' (''Globovision''31 Aug 2006) A juicio de Manuel Rosales, la democracia venezolana "está enferma". Retrieved 31 August 2006. "En sus declaraciones, Rosales se defendió de quienes le acusan de haber participado en el golpe que depuso a Chávez brevemente del poder, en abril de 2002. "Fue un momento de confusión, que nació a partir de la renuncia de Chávez, pese a que después la negó", dijo Rosales. "Estaba en el estado Zulia (del cual era gobernador) y me llamaron para que viniera de urgencia a Caracas. Asistí a un evento (la auto proclamación de Carmona como presidente) y firmé mi asistencia", relató. "Si cometí un error, lo reconozco, pero fue de buena fe. No lo planifiqué, no pasé varios años armando un plan para dar un golpe y causar muertes, a diferencia de Chávez", dijo el candidato, al hacer referencia a la fallida intentona golpista que el actual mandatario dirigió en febrero de 2002 contra el entonces presidente Carlos Andrés Pérez."
3. ''Radio Nacional de Venezuela'' 24 November 2006 Revelado caracter golpista de candidato Manuel Rosales Retrieved 24 November 2006
4. ''Radio Nacional de Venezuela' Rosales Miami interview Video Retrieved 17 Nov 2006
5. ''Radio Nacional de Venezuela'' Rosales desmiente haber llamado parásitos a seguidores de Chávez Retrieved 17 Nov 2006

External links

★ Official website of Zulia State

★ Atrevete Venezuela

★ Un Nuevo Tiempo (Manuel Rosales' Political Party)