Foreword
Historically, Venezuela has been one of South America’s most stable democracies, with one of the world’s largest oil deposits and many other abundant natural resources. Yet most Venezuelans are poor, and few have gained from the country’s wealth. Its economic fortunes remain tied to fluctuating oil prices, and its government has been plagued by corruption and mismanagement, especially of social services.In 1998, Venezuelans signaled their impatience with the government’s incompetence by electing to the presidency, by the largest vote margin in 40 years, Hugo Chávez, an army colonel and charismatic populist. Six years earlier, amid growing anger at economic austerity…
