Vermont Cynic

Issue date: 4/18/06 Section: News

Media Credit: www.mir-chile.cl Hugo Chavez in a throng of supporters

Compared by the United States' media to Hitler, Hugo Chavez is perhaps one of the most controversial political figures in modern times. Credited by the Wall Street Journal as making Venezuela, "Washington's biggest Latin American headache after the old standby, Cuba," Chavez's political policies demand critical attention. Fortunately, through the Culture Jam Film Festival, UVMers found out more about this man who happens to control the world's forth-largest oil export.
"The Revolution Will not be Televised," documents one of the few living true revolutionaries, whether his policies were for good or for worse. The film also records what was probably history's shortest-lived coup d'etat, lasting less than 48 hours. Not only is the event documented extraordinarily, the intimacy of the film was remarkable. The two independent filmmakers were inside the presidential palace on April 11, 2002 during the coup, even while the palace was threatened to be bombed. While the movie attempts to be unbiased in portraying Chavez, including interviews from both supporters and those who opposed his agenda, he is painted as the first real father of democracy. Democratically elected in 1998, Chavez has ruled without censoring the media, for perhaps the first time in Venezuelan history.
The main goal of his reign was to redistribute the oil wealth to the 80% of Venezuelans who haven't seen a cent. This of course angered the 20% oligarchy class that has benefited from the privatizing of the oil industry. Taking back state ownership of the oil industry, Chavez became extremely dangerous to not just the rich in Venezuela, but also the United States. Fearing that "Chavez doesn't have the interest of the United States at heart," as CIA Director, George Tenet expressed in a press conference, the United States' became increasingly alarmed during his rule, and openly supported opposition parties.
While the documentary does a fair job of not associating the United States with direct involvement in the coup, it does tactfully state the facts. In the days leading up to the coup, Carlos Ortega, and Pedro Carmona did meet at the White House for an undisclosed conversation. Coincidently, a few days later, the coup was lead by Ortega and Carmona. April 11th, 2002 will live in Venezuelan history just as Kennedy's assassination will live in ours. An opposition march was led to the State Oil Company, while a rally of Chavez supporters was held in front of the Presidential palace. Violence erupted when the opposition march decided to charge the Presidential Palace.

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