Brasilia - The referendum victory that enables Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stand for re-election in 2012 revealed that the country is "obviously divided," said a senior foreign policy advisor to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In an interview with Sao Paulo radio station Eldorado on Monday, Marco Aurelio Garcia said that the fact that Chavez's proposal was passed in a referendum Sunday did not guarantee his re-election.

"The opposition obtained an excellent result and that shows that at least with regard to the personality of President Chavez, who as we all know is very controversial, the country is obviously divided," Garcia said.

"Chavez will have an election in 2012 in which the opposition will surely have its candidate and could defeat him. The main issue is to see whether (Chavez) will have the power to convince voters in 2012," he said.

On Sunday, Chavez - who has been in power in Venezuela since 1999 - obtained his long-sought right to stand for an unlimited number of terms in office, as more than 54 per cent of Venezuelan voters backed a constitutional change to that effect. His current term is set to end in 2013.

"Unless God disposes otherwise, unless the people dispose otherwise, this soldier is already a pre-candidate to hold the presidency of the republic from 2013-2019," Chavez told supporters after the results were made official. (dpa)