Chávez cancer sparks leadership fears There are fears of a constitutional crisis in Venezuela if Hugo Chávez fails to attend the inauguration of his next presidential term on Thursday, with allies and opponents accusing each other of manipulating his battle with cancer for political aims. "We have a government that is totally paralysed," said Henrique Capriles, the de facto opposition leader who lost to Mr Chávez in presidential elections in October. It is not clear who would be left in charge if Mr Chávez fails to attend the inauguration of his third six-year term as president, or even if the ceremony will take place as planned. The opposition claims that the alleged rivalry inside the president's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) between his anointed heir, Nicolás Maduro, and the president of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, is adding to the instability. Mr Chávez is battling a "severe" respiratory infection after cancer surgery on December 11 in Cuba. Mr Capriles argues that if he cannot be sworn in on January 10, as the constitution stipulates, then the leader of Congress, Mr Cabello, should become the interim president. If the president's absence is then declared to be permanent, new elections must be called within 30 days, according to the constitution. However, the government argues that Mr Maduro, as vice-president, should remain in power in Mr Chávez's absence. The re-election of Mr Cabello as president of Congress on Saturday was ostensibly a show of unity by the PSUV, as the source of power of Mr Maduro's main rival was reaffirmed. But critics fear this will only accentuate divisions between government factions. Come here, Nicolás. You're my brother, my friend. They don't understand that," said Mr Cabello, embracing Mr Maduro in front of television cameras outside Congress after his re-election. Opposition lawmaker Julio Borges argues that differences between the two men explains the expected postponement of Mr Chávez's inauguration ceremony on Thursday, with Mr Maduro's group attempting to prevent Mr Cabello from taking power. "That big hug between Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello was set up to reflect unity that does not exist," Mr Borges told journalists on Sunday. While the president is sick in Havana, they have a power conflict. That's why they are engendering this violation of the constitution. Mr Maduro is a former trade unionist who is known to enjoy the favour of Cuba's Communist government, while Mr Cabello is a former army officer who has the support of the military and is well-connected with chavista business magnates. "The interpretation of the constitution's provisions for the presidential succession and the lack of independent medical reports on the true medical condition of the president are turning into an increasing source of political tension between the opposition and the official camp," said Alberto Ramos, an analyst at Goldman Sachs. Government supporters said that the opposition is manipulating the alleged rivalry between Mr Maduro and Mr Cabello to sow doubt among Venezuelans. "They are the children of Chávez," wrote Nicmer Evans, a leftist political scientist at the Central University of Venezuela, in a Monday column of Mr Maduro and Mr Cabello. "The two men with the revolutionary leader's greatest trust have different origins but are part of the same team, and are obliged to become the people who enable the diverse factions of chavismo to stay together," he added. Senior chavistas claim that the ceremony due to be held on Thursday is a mere "formality," and that the president can be sworn in by the Supreme Court at a later date. What matters most, they say, is that Mr Chávez was legitimately re-elected as president in October. "[Thursday] will be just another normal day in Venezuela and the world," attorney-general Celia Flores said on Sunday, adding that Mr Maduro, who is also her husband, will remain at the helm of the Opec nation. Mr Chávez named him as his political successor before leaving for Havana for cancer surgery. Mr Chávez has not been seen in public since, although on Monday Mr Maduro said that he sent "a kiss and a hug" to children as they returned to school.