Opposition leader formally enters campaign, marching alongside thousands of supporters to register at elections council
Henrique Capriles, the Venezuelan opposition leader, has marched with thousands of supporters through the capital, Caracas, to formally launch his run against President Hugo Chávez.
Surrounded by supporters waving red, yellow and blue Venezuelans flags, Capriles marched and jogged from a park in eastern Caracas toward the headquarters of the National Elections Council six miles (10km) away, where he formally registered.
"I want to be everybody's president, not the president of a single group," Capriles told the crowd, repeating his theme that his campaign is trying to bridge the country's deep political divisions, in contrast to Chavez's often-inflammatory attacks on rivals. "I am not anybody's enemy," Capriles said. "I'm the enemy of problems."
Capriles has vowed to create jobs, fight crime and root out corruption, though most polls say he is trailing Chávez ahead of the 7 October election.
"We have our hopes pinned on Capriles and we're sure he can lead us toward progress," said Sergio Mijares, a 58-year-old shopkeeper who opposes Chávez's plans to transform Venezuela into a socialist state. "I'm optimistic he can defeat Chávez."
Chávez, a former paratroop commander who is seeking a new six-year term in office, has sought to dismiss his rival by accusing him of representing the interests of the wealthy. Capriles, meanwhile, has said his political approach is similar to that of former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist labour leader who promoted pro-business policies while financing expansive social programs as president that made him popular among the poor.
Capriles stepped down as governor of Miranda state last week to focus on the campaign.
Chávez is scheduled to formally register his candidacy on Monday and the election campaign is heating up amid uncertainty regarding his health.
Chávez, 57, told journalists gathered at the presidential palace on Saturday that he had undergone tests following his cancer treatment and everything came out well. The exams included imaging tests to check for the reappearance of tumours, he said.
The president returned home from Cuba on 11 May after what he said was a difficult round of radiation therapy. Over the past year Chávez has undergone two surgeries that removed tumours from his pelvic region. Chavez has not disclosed details about his illness, including the type of cancer or the precise location of the tumours.
The president's medical treatment has forced him to limit his public appearances. Chávez says he has not yet begun campaigning. His challenger has been traveling across the country to drum up support for his candidacy.