Stat of the week

www.guardian.co.uk Wednesday March 12, 2003 The Guardian

42%

The amount by which Venezuela's economy is set to shrink in the first quarter, because of the collapse of oil production and the lack of foreign investment, according to a new survey by the Venezuelan subsidiary of the Spanish bank BBVA. The country has been hit by a crippling general strike and has seen mass protests against the authoritarian leftwing president, Hugo Chavez, in recent months.

· Spotted in the Financial Times, March 1