Speaking at the Romulo Gallegos Center of Latin American Studies in Altamira, Jaua detailed his public safety proposal, which features the addition of more than five thousand new police officers and the creation of nearly two thousand new patrols to increase security presence on the streets.

The security plan, which outlines more than 100 points of action to combat crime, was revealed with less than one month remaining until Venezuela’s gubernatorial elections, slated for December 16.

Jaua is running against former presidential campaign candidate for the opposition, Henrique Capriles, who is also the incumbent governor of Miranda.

While Capriles used the issue of security in his losing effort to defeat President Hugo Chavez in October, Venezuela’s socialists have been quick to highlight the governor’s failure to improve safety in his home state.

According to official numbers, Miranda has the highest indices of violent crime in the country. “In the last four years, the number of homicides [in Miranda] has doubled, representing the most in the country”, Jaua said during the presentation of his plan on Monday.

“What we’ve suffered over the past four years has been inaction before the people. Never before from a governor has there been such a lack of respect for the lives of other residents of Miranda”, he added.

To combat this, the former Vice President is proposing that Miranda link up with national crime fighting initiatives designed by the Chavez administration, something that the Capriles state government has refused to do.

This means collaborating with the National Security University in the training of new police officers and the erection of 21 new judicial processing centers to address the rampant impunity that inflicts much of the justice system in Miranda.

Prevention will also have an important role in his government’s plan to strengthen crime reduction, Jaua stated during his address.As such, the gubernatorial candidate has proposed increasing the presence of athletic and cultural centers as alternatives for at-risk youth.

This includes the creation of fourteen new spaces for youth orchestras, 62 new centers for cultural studies and the restoration of 200 sporting facilities throughout the state.

“After four years of prolonged abandonment of athletics in Miranda, we’re going to recover the use of sports to keep so many of the youth out of the world of crime. This is going to happen from the first day that we take over the governorship.

We’re going to build 210 new athletic courts in four years as part of our violence prevention program”, Jaua said at an campaign event earlier this week.

On Sunday, thousands of Miranda residents took part in a caravan to support the former Vice President in his election bid.

Activists from all 21 municipalities of the central state participated in the rallies, exhibiting their enthusiasm for the socialist candidate with music and street demonstrations.

“The residents of Miranda are motivated and carrying out a perfect campaign to take back the state with Elias Jaua. The people are demonstrating their overwhelming love and support of our revolutionary candidate”, said campaign backer Wisely Alvarez during the caravan.