CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Hugo Chavez's most influential allies are projecting an image of unity while the president recovers from cancer surgery in Cuba, standing side-by-side and pledging to uphold his socialist movement no matter what happens.
But with Chavez's outlook darkened, some Venezuelans believe power struggles are brewing between ambitious lieutenants long in the president's shadow.
One-man rule has been the glue holding together Chavez's movement, and he hadn't groomed any clear successor until he surprised Venezuelans with the announcement last weekend that if cancer forced him from office he wanted his vice president, Nicolas Maduro, to take over.
The president's diverse "Chavismo" movement includes groups from radical leftists to moderates, and long-hidden divisions could flare, at least behind-the-scenes, if Chavez is no longer in charge.
"In politics, everything is possible," said Gustavo Chourio, a bookseller in downtown Caracas, adding that he expects conflict between Maduro and National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello.
Maduro leads a civilian-political wing that is considered to be closely aligned with Cuba's communist government. Cabello, a former military officer, is thought to have strong ties to the military - a relationship he highlighted when he spoke at a Mass for Chavez held at Venezuela's largest military base.
Analysts agree that political battles are likely, if not inevitable.
"It is almost certain that an intense power struggle is already under way within Chavismo," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington.
Shifter said key figures in the president's camp, including Maduro and Cabello, have long had to suppress personal ambition as Chavez monopolized decision-making.
"With Chavez no longer on the scene, and the power vacuum exposed, the situation becomes extremely unpredictable," Shifter said. "The fact that Maduro is Chavez's designated successor gives him the upper hand for the time being, but that is unlikely to last long. The others vying for power are wily and ruthless. From the outset, the Chavez regime has been about power - including lots of money - and now all of that is up for grabs."
Maduro and Cabello, for their part, showed a united front this week by appearing together at events along with other Cabinet ministers and military commanders. Speaking alongside Cabello and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez on Wednesday, Maduro said: "We're more united than ever."
The 58-year-old Chavez underwent his fourth cancer-related operation Tuesday after announcing that tests had found the illness had come back despite previous operations, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The government said Friday that Chavez's recovery had been "slow but progressive" after suffering complications in surger, and that he had spoken with his family.
If Chavez were to die or be unable to continue in office, the constitution says new elections should be held within 30 days. If that happened before Chavez's Jan. 10 swearing-in, the president of the National Assembly would take over temporarily until elections were held.
Before his surgery, Chavez acknowledged such a scenario. He said on television Saturday night, with Maduro and Cabello seated beside him, that if he was unable to continue as president, Maduro should be elected to take his place and lead the socialist movement.