CARACAS, venezuela — When he takes the stage at campaign rallies, Hugo Chavez stands alone.
Under Venezuela’s election system, presidential hopefuls don’t choose running mates, and that raises few eyebrows in normal years.
But this has not been a normal year. President Chavez has been fighting a mysterious cancer, and the lack of a prospective No. 2 has left voters wondering who in fact would take over were Chavez to win next month’s elections but be forced to leave office prematurely.
Nearly alone among South American nations, Venezuelan law leaves designation of a vice president until after the new leader is sworn in. It did not even have a vice president until 1999, when the office was created in a constitution promoted by Chavez.
Campaigning against youthful challenger Henrique Capriles, Chavez seldom mentions his health problems, which over the past 15 months have required frequent trips to Cuba for three surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. When asked about his health last week, Chavez said his last checkup in June showed he was cancer-free and “everything will be fine.”
Even some loyal Chavez supporters who plan to vote for him Oct. 7 acknowledge feeling uneasy about the uncertainty.
“Who would take his place? Nobody knows, and that makes me worry,” said Maria Lovera, a street vendor selling household cleaning supplies on a street corner.
“I love Chavez, and I want him to remain in power for many more years, but I must confess that some people like me have suspicions that he hasn’t told us the whole truth about his cancer,” Lovera said.
Some say because none of Chavez’s possible vice presidential candidates have anywhere near his popularity, choosing one might alienate some sectors within his movement or prove less appealing to voters still on the fence.
“He is aware that if he appoints the VP (ahead of the vote), that would trigger divisions and increase uncertainties,” said Diego Moya-Ocampos, an analyst with the consulting firm IHS Global Insight.
