Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Manuel Rosales held his first campaign rally with thousands of supporters on Saturday, pledging to fight poverty that has aggravated over recent years.

"The poor have to come out from below. I'm going to deal with poverty in Venezuela, its oil is for the entire nation," Rosales told a cheering crowd outside the National Electoral Council, where he formally registered for the Dec. 3 presidential race.

Rosales, a popular governor of the western state Zulia, said if elected, he would create oil-funded debit cards for the country's poor families to help pay for food, housing and set up small business.

Rosales, a 54-year-old, told his supporters that he hopes to build a new country in Venezuela, saying "we've taken the route that will lead us to Miraflores," which houses the presidential palace.

Incumbent President Hugo Chavez, who is seeking another six-year term, argued in a televised speech that his rival downplayed the achievements of his government, which has created a network of social programs, including state-subsidized food market, new public housing and free health care.

Chavez said statistics show unemployment stands at 9.6 percent in the south American nation, down from the past, adding "Unemployment in Venezuela is heading toward zero."

Rosales, a career politician for the past 27 years, is one of the two opposition governors from among Venezuela's 24 states. He emerged as the opposition's choice to combat Chavez earlier this month when most of other challengers quit the race.

Source: Xinhua