Key “anti-Chavista” under indictment

An indictment was issued today against former Venezuelan presidential candidate and chief opposition figure Manuel Rosales.

The current mayor of one of Venezuela’s main cites- Maracaibo- is being sought for corruption charges during his time as governor of Zulia. According to prosecutor Katiuska Plaza, Rosales is being accused of "illegal enrichment" and a warrant may be formally issued within the next twenty days.

For his part, Rosales reacted angrily and accused President Hugo Chavez of masterminding the charges him. "This is an order that Chavez gave at the end of last year and has been insisting on. We all know that in Venezuela the separation of powers does not work," Rosales declared this morning to reporters. Later in an interview on CNN en Español, Rosales added that Chavez is a “dictator” leading Venezuela on a path towards “totalitarian state”.

Image- SFGate.com (Manuel Rosales casting his ballot during his unsuccessful run for the presidency).
Online Sources- El Universal, AP, Reuters