Before the National Constitution, countersigned on December 15th, 1999, would turn eight years in force, President Hugo Chávez proposed the reform of 33 articles, and the National Assembly added 36, including changes to private property, working hours and endless reelection for the head of state.

It was an intensive campaign. However, the proposal found in the streets the people's upset at the government decision not to renew a broadcast concession for Radio Caracas Televisión, an open-signal TV channel that had operated for more than 53 years and was candidly independent from government guidelines.

The civil society disappointment was mostly levered up by a large number of university students. After claiming what they viewed as the shutdown of a TV channel, they became a bastion opposed to the government, instilled awareness and prompted voters to cast their ballots on Sunday, December 2nd.

For the first time in more than a dozen polls, Hugo Chávez had to acknowledge defeat.
A handful of ingenuous, brave young people made what seasoned political leaders could not do. They were received at the Parliament special sessions and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, by the Attorney General, and also by million Venezuelans, who answered to their call and voted against the draft constitutional reform.

There were two other issues that contributed to this first triumph of the opposition over Chávez's government. General Raúl Baduel; ex first lady Marisabel Rodríguez and pro-government political Podemos party kept at a distance, in addition to the international claims of funding, with at least USD 800,000, the presidential campaign of Argentina's Cristina Fernández.

The domestic environment was also characterized by serious shortage, particularly of staples, such as beef, corn oil, sugar and milk.

In sports, Venezuela did its best to look nice as the host, for the first time, of the soccer America's Cup.

Days before the tournament opening attended by President Chávez, his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales and soccer star Diego Armando Maradona, and all the members of the Executive branch of government drove along a brand-new viaduct one on the Caracas-La Guaira freeway. The new road was built to replace a deteriorated bridge and a winding, long path from the capital city to Maiquetía airport.

At the tournament, the Venezuelan team led by Richard Páez, went beyond the qualifying round, but succumbed in the quarter finals. That year, in December, Páez quit as coach.