Kelly, Janet and Palma, Pedro A. (2004) The syndrome of economic decline and the quest for change. In McCoy, Jennifer and Myers, David (Editors) The Unraveling of Representative Democracy in Venezuela. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Pp. 202-230.
At the beginning of the 21st century Venezuela’s quest for change after years of decline confronted the dilemma of reformers everywhere. Stagnation and crisis reflect deep-seated institutional problems that demand radical transformation; at the same time, radical change is inherently destabilizing and generates resistance and uncertainty in such a way as to undermine the very objectives the government seeks to achieve. The challenge for the future will be to break the syndrome of failure and to restore citizens’ confidence in the ability of their governments to provide prosperity while reducing poverty and widening the possibilities of the whole population.