Huge march in Venezuela for Chavez opponent

CARACAS, Venezuela, Nov 5 (Reuters) Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Caracas to support opposition presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, whose populist campaign has focused on reducing crime and redistributing oil wealth.

Rosales, governor of the oil-rich Zulia state, trails leftist President Hugo Chavez by around 20 percentage points in most private polls ahead of the December 3 election.

Chavez is a close ally of Cuba and fiercely opposes the Bush administration even though Venezuela provides around 12 percent of US oil imports.

Opposition sympathisers donning Venezuela's signature red, yellow and blue patriotic colours joined the march, which spanned some 20 km across most of the capital city.

''Rosales is our last hope to prevent this country from becoming another Cuba,'' said 53-year-old engineer Antonio Romero, who marched with his family carrying Venezuelan flags.

Rosales promises to end Chavez's confrontation with the Bush administration, redistribute bountiful oil revenues and reduce soaring crime rates throughout Venezuela.

Opposition leaders also accuse the Chavez government of drawing up blacklists to intimidate voters and requiring public employees to join pro-Chavez campaign activities.

''Enough of being afraid in this country,'' said Angela Barrera, 28, a graphic designer whose face was painted with the colors of the Venezuelan flag. ''On December 3, what will be heard is the voice of the people who want a future.'' A video released this week showed the nation's top energy official saying the government should not employ oil workers opposed to Chavez -- statements Chavez himself later backed despite intense criticism.

State television showed images yesterday of what appeared to be thousands of pro-Chavez oil workers gathered to support the energy minister in the eastern city of Puerto La Cruz, where Chavez was scheduled to appear.

MASSIVE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CAMPAIGN The Rosales campaign has told voters it will end Chavez's generous energy assistance programmes to other countries, including one that distributes subsidised heating oil to poor US residents through Venezuelan-owned energy company Citgo.

Chavez has built up support among the poor by using oil revenues to finance a massive social development campaign that has expanded access to health care and education.

He has also roused nationalist sentiment by criticising Washington's involvement in Latin American affairs, and has repeatedly accused the US State Department of plotting his ouster.

Most polls released in recent weeks show Rosales far behind Chavez despite having united a fractured opposition that failed to oust the former army officer through a botched coup, a two-month oil strike and a recall campaign.

Government supporters have criticised Rosales for signing a decree abolishing state institutions in the brief 2002 coup while Chavez was being held by dissident officers.

Chavez was first elected in 1998 and again in 2000 on promises to end poverty and roll back US-backed free market reforms.

He is now the most visible leader of an increasingly influential Latin American left, and has openly supported the candidacy of Nicaragua's long-time US foe, Daniel Ortega, who is running for president today.

Reuters SBA VP0715