The problem will correct itself, because of Chavez's unsustainable policies.

The country is already unravelling, as noted by this long, but very informative NYT article from November:

The Perils of Petrocracy
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ynrk8x

Many oil companies are unwilling to invest in Venezuela because of the high risk of expropriation (i.e. confiscation of properties and assets). So even though Venezuela has large oil reserves, it can't extract them efficiently without foreign investments and expertise.

Pdvsa, the nationalised oil company, has become very inefficient, and is basically serving as Chavez's ATM. When the oil money starts to run out, so will Chavez's popularity.

For an example of a company which litigated itself to death, look no further than SCO.

Looks like it is a continuation / expansion of his 2006 story "Chu and the Nants" which I found very entertaining. Am looking forward to reading "Postsingular".