The economy did not improve, mismanage-
ment and Chàvez’s authoritarian attempts to
govern and introduce reforms, a catalogue of
turmoil and failure, led to constitutional efforts
to force a referendum and an early election by
the opposition joined by the trade unions. Until
2004 Chàvez blocked all efforts to force his
hand. The counter of the opposition was to call
a general strike. For weeks until February 2003
industry was paralysed including the state oil
industry. Chàvez weathered the industrial assault
but the prospects for the people are grim. The
economy threatened to grind to a halt. In 2004
Chàvez convincingly won the recall referendum.
Populist nationalist, stridently anti-American at
odds with his Latin American neighbours whose
efforts to mediate have failed, the future remained
clouded. The failure of a sound political structure
and the endemic corruption have blighted
Venezuela.
1
THE WORLD OF LATIN AMERICA 705
