![]() "There are many difficulties, yes, but who is going to overcome them? The oligarchy, Donald Trump, or us?" said Maduro, 55, speaking in the city of San Felix, in the southern state of Bolivar, where he gave vehicles to local authorities. Unlike past campaigns, rallies on both sides have so far been poorly attended. Underlining the difficulty of Falcon's task, other opposition activists were organizing rallies this week to promote abstention at next month's vote. ![]() Falcon and Wall Street heavyweight Francisco Rodriguez, his chief economic adviser, laid out plans to reform PDVSA, separating it from the oil ministry, asking the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to raise quotas and strengthening the role of foreign partners. Tensions between PDVSA, which provides Venezuela with some 95 percent of export revenue, and foreign oil companies has risen as military officers who have little or no oil industry experience are given senior roles. More than 80 executives at PDVSA, or PetrĂ³leos de Venezuela, S.A., and its suppliers have been jailed in recent months for alleged corruption. Though some polls have put him level or even ahead of Maduro, abstention would hit the 56-year-old former soldier and governor Falcon harder than the socialist incumbent. Turnout at the May 20 election is expected to be low given Venezuelans' depression over an unprecedented economic meltdown and a boycott by the mainstream opposition which views the poll as a farce intended to legitimize autocracy. By Andreina Aponte and Deisy Buitrago CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro kicked off his presidential campaign giving away trash trucks and tractors while challenger Henri Falcon laid out plans to de-politicize state oil company PDVSA and dollarize an ailing economy.
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