Guys; I do not have time right at the moment to stop and translate an article on Rosales's rally today, something I would like to put up on the board as a new thread, but I can tell you that there were at least 100,000 people there according to one Venezuelan newspaper report at:
http://www.2001.com.ve/noticias_2001online.asp?registro=72389
The article quoted a Rosales campaign spokesman who said there could have been as many as 200,000 people in attendance. For this to have happened right in Caracas, Hugo Chavez's home turf, is big news.
I have one pic of today's event to throw into the mix, sorry it's not larger, but look closely, there are people as far as the eye can see:
I will probably post something on the rally tomorrow.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Que mojella de avalancha!
What can I say? Great avalanche today, people pouring out to see Rosales. It was hot, but it was exciting, lots of people everywhere. Rosales greeted us saying "que molleja is this rally!" a typical maracucho saying which refers to something big, grand!
And it was. I tried to get as close to the front as I could and it reached a point that was claustrophobic, you could not move in any direction, I only got to about ten or fifteen rows deep. Very thrilling and exhausting, I think I am dehydrated but wanted to post this quickly. People were happy, excited, friendly. Lots of young people, Rosales gave an outline of what he will do.
http://blogs.salon.com/0001330/2006/10/07.html#a3095
Mass Venezuela opposition rally
By Greg Morsbach
BBC News, Caracas
Tens of thousands of people have marched through the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in support of the main opposition candidate, Manuel Rosales.
Mr Rosales will face President Hugo Chavez in December's presidential poll.
The march, which filled the main avenues of the city centre, was the biggest opposition rally Venezuela has seen since early 2004.
Then, protesters made an unsuccessful bid to oust Mr Chavez from power in a recall referendum.
Chance to unite
Young and old took to the streets to throw their weight behind the campaign of Mr Rosales, a middle-class Social Democrat who governs the state of Zulia, on the Colombian border.
Many claimed that they were seeking liberty and democracy and that made Mr Rosales their only option:
"The problem of the opposition is that before we had a lot of candidates and people couldn't make up their minds whom to support," one woman said.
"Right now we have just one candidate and I believe that we have a better shot if we have just one candidate against Chavez."
For some it was simply a day out to enjoy the sunshine, but for most it was a chance to listen to a speech by Mr Rosales, who declared that Venezuela was "at a crossroads".
Mr Rosales condemned what he called the cheque book diplomacy of Mr Chavez, accusing him of giving away Venezuela's oil wealth to foreign powers.
If Mr Rosales can keep up this kind of pressure against his rival, the election results may not necessarily be a foregone conclusion.
But for now, Mr Chavez still enjoys a clear lead in opinion polls because of a sense of loyalty that poor and working-class voters feel towards him.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4801521.stm