Opposition presidential hopefuls stage massive rallies

Henrique Salas Feo (Project Venezuela), the governor of the state of Carabobo, said Thursday: "The Forum de Valencia (a sport arena) is too small to host this crowd!" "Carabobo is here!" Salas said before giving the floor to "his namesake," and presidential pre-candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski, the governor of the state of Miranda and pre-candidate of Primero Justicia -Justice First party.

The arena, with a capacity of 9,000 to 10,000 people, was full of supporters who applauded the speeches of other opposition leaders: Leopoldo López, a former pre-candidate and leader of Voluntad Popular -People's Will, Henri Falcón, the governor of the State of Lara, Patria para Todos (Fatherland for All), and Enzo Scarano.

Capriles' speech was not aired live due to a President Hugo Chávez's mandatory nationwide simultaneous radio and TV broadcast.

The opposition hopeful said: "It is not true that Venezuela's stability is at stake. Do we have a stable country? A country where thousands die. What do we want to do with the armed forces?"

Meanwhile, Pablo Pérez, the governor of the state of Zulia and pre-candidate of Un Nuevo Tiempo -A New Era, held a huge rally in the low-income neighborhood of Petare, east Caracas.

"Mayors will not have to beg for money," Pérez said in the rally.

The opposition pre-candidate pledged to strengthen "unity, and respect for private property, and create jobs and fight criminals."

Meanwhile, independent pre-candidate María Corina Machado (deputy for the state of Miranda) held a rally with her supporters in Brión Square, Chacaíto, northeastern Caracas, and urged them "to vote without fear" in the presidential primaries to be held on Sunday.

Machado said that she was able to defend "popular capitalism," among other proposals. She stressed that this idea has been supported by informal sector workers, retailers, and farmers.