SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil is urging Venezuela's government to hold elections as quickly as possible if President Hugo Chavez dies, senior officials told Reuters on Monday, a major intervention by Latin America's regional powerhouse that could help ensure a smoother leadership transition in Caracas.
Brazilian officials have expressed their wishes directly to Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro,
the officials said on condition of anonymity. Chavez has designated
Maduro as his preferred successor if he loses his battle with cancer.
"We are explicitly
saying that if Chavez dies, we would like to see elections as soon as
possible," one official said. "We think that's the best way to ensure a
peaceful democratic transition, which is Brazil's main desire."
Chavez is in Cuba receiving cancer treatment and he has not been seen in public for a month, prompting speculation that he is near death.
Venezuela's constitution says a new election must be
held within 30 days if the president dies. Before leaving for Cuba,
Chavez urged Venezuelans to back Maduro should the cancer leave him
incapacitated, and Chavez's backers and the opposition appear to be
preparing behind the scenes for a possible new vote.
Yet some foreign officials in the region, and some
activists in more radical Venezuelan opposition circles, have privately
expressed fears that the government could bend the rules if it wants,
especially if polls show Maduro might lose...
BRASILIA WANTS TO TAKE THE LEAD
Brazil is keeping the United States apprised of its
efforts, and is hoping to convince Washington to allow it to take the
lead in managing a potential leadership transition in Venezuela. Chavez
is one of the world's most vocal anti-U.S. leaders, and the Brazilian
officials said they fear that any direct U.S. intervention in Venezuelan
affairs could backfire.
Venezuela's opposition is demanding that Chavez step
aside and name a caretaker president while he recovers - but those
complaints have so far been ignored by governments around the region,
including the Rousseff administration.
Brazil's push for quick elections in a post-Chavez
Venezuela marks another important step in its emergence as a diplomatic
heavyweight and champion of democracy in Latin America. Rousseff led a
strong regional backlash last year when Paraguay's Congress impeached
and removed then-President Fernando Lugo.
Under Rousseff's
predecessor and mentor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil also took a
proactive role in trying to resolve a political crisis in Honduras
following the ouster of former President Manuel Zelaya in 2009.
Previously, Brazil had been more shy about taking the
lead in regional crises, preferring to emphasize the right of countries
to determine their own fates - long the bedrock principle of Brazilian
diplomacy.
Lula, who remains an influential power broker in the
region, will travel later this month to Cuba, where some speculate he
could meet with Chavez, his longtime friend.
(Additional reporting by Marianna Parraga in Caracas; Editing by Todd Benson, David Brunnstrom and Lisa Shumaker)