Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Papers presented at an October 1992 conference form the basis of the chapters in this book, although some were commissioned after the conference. Topics include the decline of Venezuelan exceptionalism, political parties and the Democratic crisis, popular opinion, civil- military relations, the Venezuelan private sector, social policy, and constitutional reform.
Weakened public institutions, military reform, and public opinion in the face of rapid change have opened the door for corruption, inequitable distribution of burdens, and political instability in South America. Countries in the region are facing painful and sometimes dangerous reform.