The Argentine TV station Todo Noticias ["All News"] reported yesterday that President Fernando Henrique Cardoso on Saturday night telephoned Cordoba Province Governor Jose Manuel de la Sota, of the Justicialist Party (PJ) -- who once served as ambassador to Brazil -- to voice his concern over incidents in the country. "Cardoso told De la Sota that the images of the protests at the Plaza de Mayo show a country on the verge of a civil war," one of the channel's journalists commented. According to the reporter, the Brazilian president apparently advised De la Sota to move forward the elections, initially slated for March 2002. But neither Itamaraty nor the Planalto Palace confirmed the president's phone call to the governor of Cordoba. Legislators Request Action from the Brazilian Government Concern has spread to Brazilian legislators. Violent attacks at the Argentine legislature sounded alarm bells in the Brazilian political arena, to the point that senators of the official and opposition parties defended more concrete support from the Brazilian Government for Argentina. Deputy Jose Genoino (Workers Party -- Sao Paulo) said that the wave of looting threatens Argentine democracy. He asked that Brazil promote meetings in the South American continent, or serve as intermediary in negotiations with international institutions. "This is an unpredictable, anarchical situation. We don't know where it will go, against whom. It is dangerous! In addition to Argentina there are other countries in crisis, such as Colombia and Venezuela. We have a very risky scenario. Any step backward for democracy on the continent would be a disaster. Brazil cannot stand by with its hands folded just watching all of this," Genoino affirmed. PSDB [Brazilian Social Democracy Party] President Jose Anibal (Sao Paulo) said that Cardoso has already placed himself at the disposal of the Argentine Government to talk to international financial institutions. He noted, "Brazil should adopt an open posture with relation to Argentina, which is experiencing a tragedy." For Jose Agripino Maia, PFL [Liberal Front Party] leader in the Senate, although Brazil has detached itself from Argentina, it should not disregard the message of the crises that is devastating the neighboring country. "The political warning must be heeded. Either one pays attention to the will of the people or what happened will happen." Maia commented. Senator Heloisa Helena (Workers Party -- Alagoas) said that Latin American countries should always join together to speak with international economic institutions, in order to maintain autonomy in their economies: "Now we see what happens when one country abdicates its financial autonomy. I hope that this can alert the Brazilian Government to revise its relationship with the IMF." Analysts: Lack of Alternative for Power Political scientists agree: Argentina lacks a political force that can stand up to Peronism and Radicalism. This is viewed as the main impediment to the establishment of political order in the country. USP [University of Sao Paulo] professor Emir Sader believes that Peronists will remain in power after the elections, slowly growing weaker, allowing room for the emergence of new leadership. "The degree of pauperization will be brutal. Everything depends on how long it takes for Peronism to burn out and new leadership to emerge," Sader said. For the political scientist, Argentina cannot wait for assistance from the American Government. Latin America is no longer important because the focus now is on global security and no longer on the international economic order. Sader affirmed, "The new policy of (US President George W.) Bush is to permit decay. The concern now is security. All eyes are on Pakistan, China, and Russia."