The article focuses on the recall referendum that took place in Venezuela in August 2004, which confirmed the permanence of President Hugo Chávez. It points out the political context that culminated in the referendum, in which oppositionists fiercely criticized Chávez and his administration. The author shows the sharp polarization that characterized this process, dividing Venezuelan society and affecting the notion of collective interest.
Venezuela; Hugo Chávez; presidential recall; electoral process