This book recounts the recent evolution of the Venezuelan economy and details the consequences of new policies designed to tackle the nation"s deepest economic crisis. It also explains the failed military coup in February 1992 that threatened the second oldest democracy in Latin America, and analyzes its causes. It reveals government corruption, the roles played by the military and the media, and discusses the effects of the wars among "economic groups" on the profound turbulence unleashed by the failed coup.