In 2003 Venezuela's then president, Hugo Chavez, fired more than 18,000 employees, almost half the workforce, of the state-run oil corporation, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Their offence was to have taken part in a strike (pictured) called in protest at the politicisation of the company. Their punishment was to be barred from jobs not only in PDVSA itself but also in any company doing business with the oil firm. The axe fell heavily on managers and technicians: around 80% of the staff at Intevep, pdvsa's research arm, are thought to have joined the strike. At the stroke of a pen, Venezuela lost its oil intelligentsia.
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机译：2003年，委内瑞拉当时的总统雨果·查韦斯（Hugo Chavez）解雇了国营石油公司（Petroleos de Venezuela）（PDVSA）的18,000多名员工，几乎解雇了一半的员工。他们的罪行是参加罢工（如图），以抗议公司的政治化。他们的惩罚不仅限于PDVSA本身，而且不得与任何与该石油公司有业务往来的公司从事。斧头严重落在了管理人员和技术人员身上：pdvsa的研究机构Intevep大约80％的员工都参加了罢工。一动不动，委内瑞拉就失去了石油知识分子。
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