Dragon in the Tropics: Hugo Chavez and the Political Economy of Revolution in Venezuela
by: Javier Corrales and Michael Penfold

Softcover. Washington DC, Brookings Institution Press, 1st, 2011, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, 195 pages. Since he was first elected in 1999, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias has reshaped a frail but nonetheless pluralistic democracy into a semi-authoritarian regime--an outcome achieved with spectacularly high oil income and widespread electoral support. This eye-opening book illuminates one of the most sweeping and unexpected political transformations in contemporary Latin America. Based on more than fifteen years' experience in researching and writing about Venezuela, Javier Corrales and Michael Penfold have crafted a comprehensive account of how the Chavez regime has revamped the nation, with a particular focus on its political transformation. Clean copy.