Venezuela‘s ruling Socialist Party began a six-day congress yesterday with President Nicolas Maduro seeking to quieten hardliners who believe the state is failing to stem corruption or fix the economy.

It is the party’s third congress since formation in 2008, but the first without its charismatic founder, former president Hugo Chavez who died last year of cancer after ruling the South American OPEC nation for 14 years.

“This congress is going to determine the future of the revolution in coming years,” Maduro said ahead of the meeting, adding that the party’s 7.6 million members had sent some 23,000 proposals to be considered by 537 delegates.

By sheer force of personality, Chavez was able to hold together the ruling party’s competing factions, from Marxist ideologues to military officers and pragmatic businessmen.

Maduro, 51, a former bus driver who rose to be Chavez’s Vice President, has been unable to replicate his political grip and faces a dilemma in preserving his predecessor’s political legacy while rectifying deepening economic problems.

Venezuela has the highest inflation rate in the continent at 62 percent in the 12 months to June.

A Byzantine currency control system, with official rates ranging from 6.3 to 50 bolivars to the dollar and a black market level of 80, is creating price distortions, stimying private business and earning huge sums for those playing the system.

Shortages of basics continue across the nation, while electricity and water cuts are also angering Venezuelans.

“The daily life of working people has become a Calvary,” said one disgruntled ‘Chavista’ group called Socialist Tide, lambasting “scandalous” graft and government policy paralysis in a paper ahead of the congress.