Manuel Rosales
| Manuel Rosales | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 55th Mayor of Maracaibo | |
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In office 1 December 2008 – 24 April 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Gian Carlo Di Martino |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Ponne (interim) |
| 34th Governor of Zulia | |
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In office 2 February 2000 – 23 November 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Germán Valero |
| Succeeded by | Pablo Pérez Álvarez |
| 53rd Mayor of Maracaibo | |
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In office 1996–2000 |
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| Preceded by | Fernando Chumaceiro |
| Succeeded by | Gian Carlo Di Martino |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 12, 1952 Santa Bárbara del Zulia, Zulia State |
| Political party | Un Nuevo Tiempo |
| Spouse(s) | Eveling Trejo de Rosales |
| Profession | Politician/Teacher |
Manuel Antonio Rosales Guerrero (born December 12, 1952, in Santa Bárbara del Zulia) is a Venezuelan educator and politician and was the most prominent opposition candidate in the 2006 presidential election, losing to incumbent Hugo Chávez. He served as a congressman, mayor, and governor, but in April 2009, stepped down as Mayor of Maracaibo when he was charged with corruption in Venezuela and fled to Peru. Rosales denies the charges, and was granted political asylum in Peru.
Rosales began his political career as a youth leader of the political party, Acción Democrática (AD), described by the BBC as "one of the two parties that dominated Venezuelan politics for most of the second half of the 20th Century". In 2000 he founded "his own centre-left party which he called Un Nuevo Tiempo" (A New Era); he describes "himself as a social democrat".
Rosales served as a congressman in the Zulia Legislative Assembly (1983–1994), Mayor of Maracaibo (1996–2000)—Venezuela's second-largest city, in Zulia, Venezuela's wealthiest state—and Governor of Zulia for two terms (2000–2004 and 2004–2008).
Rosales was accused of participating in the 2002 "attempt to oust the president"; according to the BBC, "government supporters accuse him of taking part in a short-lived coup ...". Rosales signed the Carmona Decree—a document drawn up on the day following the Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002, which saw the temporary removal of President Chávez. He declared that he signed during a "moment of confusion" after "Chavez's resignation, although [Chavez] later denied [the resignation]", and that he signed his attendance at a meeting he was urgently requested to attend.
Rosales was defeated by Chavez in the December 2006 Venezuelan election to choose a president for the six-year term beginning in January 2007. A primary election organized by Sumate had been scheduled for August 2006, but was cancelled when other presidential opposition candidates agreed to withdraw from the race and support Rosales. As "one of only two governors" opposed to Chavez, Rosales united the opposition, representing a broad coalition of parties and organizations opposed to Hugo Chávez. According to the BBC, "critics ... describe him as uncharismatic".
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Wikipedia