Manuel Rosales

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Manuel Rosales
Manuel Rosales

In office
2000 – present
Preceded by Germán Valero
Succeeded by incumbent

Born 12 December 1952
Santa Bárbara del Zulia, Zulia State
Political party Un Nuevo Tiempo
Spouse Evelin Trejo de Rosales
Profession Politician/Teacher

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".[2].

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[edit] 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.[3]

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).[4][5] 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).[3]

[edit] Criticism

Chávez supporters accuse Rosales of participating in the 2002 coup attempt by signing The Carmona Decree, an action he says was an honest mistake and not a pre-planned coup like the one Chávez carried out in 1992. 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".[6]

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 Estanga, 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".[7]

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.[8] He later flatly denied having called anyone a parasite, stating he had never offended a single Venezuelan.[9]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Súmate: there will be no primary elections. El Universal (8 August 2006).
  2. ^ Rosales's candidacy formally announced. El Universal (9 August 2006).
  3. ^ a b Contest for Venezuelan Presidency begins. El Universal (1 August 2006).
  4. ^ Atrevete con Manuel Rosales. Accessed 23 August 2006.
  5. ^ Zulia State Government. Official curriculum of Manuel Antonio Rosales Guerrero. Accessed 9 August 2006.
  6. ^ AFP (Globovision31 Aug 2006) A juicio de Manuel Rosales, la democracia venezolana "está enferma". Retrieved 31 August 2006. (Spanish) "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."
  7. ^ Radio Nacional de Venezuela 24 November 2006 Revelado caracter golpista de candidato Manuel Rosales Retrieved 24 November 2006 (Spanish)
  8. ^ Radio Nacional de Venezuela' Rosales Miami interview Video Retrieved 17 Nov 2006
  9. ^ Radio Nacional de Venezuela Rosales desmiente haber llamado parásitos a seguidores de Chávez Retrieved 17 Nov 2006

[edit] External links


Current governors of states of Venezuela

Amazonas: Liborio Guarulla
Anzoategui: Tarek Saab
Apure: Jesus Aguilarte
Aragua: Didalco Bolivar
Barinas: Hugo de los Reyes Chávez
Bolivar: Francisco Rangel

Carabobo: Luis Acosta
Cojedes: Jhonny Yanez
Delta Amacuro: Yelitza Santaella
Falcon: Jesus Montilla
Guarico: Eduardo Manuitt
Lara: Luis Reyes

Merida: Florencio Porras
Miranda: Diosdado Cabello
Monagas: Jose Briceño
Nueva Esparta: Morel Rodriguez
Portuguesa: Antonia Muñoz
Sucre: Ramon Martinez

Táchira: Roland Blanco
Trujillo: Gilmer Viloria
Vargas: Antonio Rodriguez
Yaracuy: Carlos Gimenez
Zulia: Manuel Rosales
Caracas: Juan Barreto (Mayor)