Remember those pictures of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez hugging Mullah Mohamad Khatami of Iran, and the two of them waving their fists from the banks of the Orinoco? To much fanfare, the pair of them jointly opened a tractor factory in Ciudad Bolivar to cement their alliance. Then they announced the dawn of a new era of friendship and cooperation between the two anti-American tyrannies.

Ten days later, the new factory has gone on strike. Miguel has the scoop here.