Hugo Chavez

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED DIRECTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIM BARTLEY AND DONNACHA O'BRIAIN IRELAND, 2003 74 MINUTES.

On April 12th 2002 the world awoke to the news that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had been removed from office and had been replaced by a new interim government. What had in fact taken place was the first Latin American coup of the 21st century, and the world's first media coup... HUGO CHAVEZ ELECTED PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA IN 1998, IS A COLORFUL, UNPREDICTABLE FOLK HERO, beloved by his nation's working class and a tough-as-nails, quixotic opponent to the power structure that would see him deposed. Two independent filmmakers were inside the presidential palace on April 11, 2002, when he was forcibly removed from office. They were also present 48 hours later when, remarkably, he returned to power amid cheering aides. Their film records what was probably history's shortest-lived coup d'état. It's a unique document about political muscle and an extraordinary portrait of the man The Wall Street Journal credits with making Venezuela "Washington‚s biggest Latin American headache after the old standby, Cuba. Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias (born July 28, 1954) is the current President of Venezuela. As the leader of the "Bolivarian Revolution," Chavez promotes his vision of democratic socialism,Latin American integration, and anti-imperialism. He is also an ardent critic of neoliberal globalisation and U.S. foreign policy. A career military officer, Chavez founded the leftist Fifth Republic Movement after orchestrating a failed 1992 coup d'etat against former president Carlos Andres Perez. Chavez was elected President in 1998 on promises of aiding Venezuela's poor majority, and was reelected in 2000 and 2006. Domestically, Chavez has launched Bolivarian Missions, whose goals are to combat disease, illiteracy, malnutrition, poverty, and other social ills. Abroad, Chavez has acted against the Washington Consensus by supporting alternative models of economic development, and has advocated cooperation among the world's poor nations, especially those in Latin America. Chavez's reforms have evoked exceptional controversy in Venezuela and abroad, receiving both criticism and praise. Venezuelans are split between those who say he has empowered the poor and stimulated economic growth, and those who say he is autocratic and has mismanaged the economy. Some foreign governments view Chavez as a threat to global oil prices and regional stability, while others welcome his bilateral trade and reciprocal aid agreements

Hugo Chavez: Inside the Coup - April 11, 2002 "La Cadena"

La Cadena is the Chavez forced television and radio broadcast to the nation on April 11, 2002, it also documents the events as they unfolded on the street of Venezuela which led to the "coup" or non-signed resignation of Hugo Chavez. On April 11, 2002 after three days of protests, approximately 500,000 - 1 milliion Venezuelans marched to the presidential palace demanding the resignation of Hugo Chavez. As a result Hugo Chavez ordered all Television stations knocked off the air so he could address the nation via one of his "cadenas". This documentary is the cadena given by Hugo Chavez that day and also documents the events on the street during its broadcast, which were mostly not seen by Venezuelans at home due to the forced media blackout by the government. The Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002 was a failed military coup d'etat on April 11, 2002. It saw the brief overthrow and arrest of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and the installation of a rightist businessman, Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce (Fedecamaras) president Pedro Carmona, as interim president for 47 hours. In Caracas, the coup led to riots and a pro-Chavez uprising that the Metropolitan Police attempted to suppress. Key sectors of the military and parts of the anti-Chávez movement refused to back Carmona. The pro-Chavez Presidential Guard eventually retook the Miraflores presidential palace without firing a shot, leading to the collapse of the Carmona government and the re-installation of Chavez as president. The coup was publicly condemned by Latin American nations (the Rio Group presidents were gathered together in San José, Costa Rica, at the time, and were able to issue a joint communique) and international organizations. The United States, which had acknowledged the de facto Carmona government, condemned the coup after Chavez had been restored to power. Upon news of Chavez's return, Condoleezza Rice, then National Security Advisor to U.S. President George W. Bush, said: "We do hope that Chavez recognises that the whole world is watching and that he takes advantage of this opportunity to right his own ship, which has been moving, frankly, in the wrong direction for quite a long time

Unravelling Venezuela's Revolution

Hugo Chavez swept to power promising to help the poor. But seven years on, many problems seem to be getting worse. Has the Chavez revolution run out of steam? "The President talks a lot but we've been abandoned", complains Rosalia Aular. "I'm no better off." The government set up a loan programme to help farmers like her. But the grants never reached the most vulnerable. Millions were embezzled and farmers left owing thousands of dollars they never received. All around Venezuela, there is a belief Chavez is surrounded by a corrupt clique. "People very high in the government are using the revolution to become richer", complains one Unionist. But no matter how difficult life gets, Chavez himself remains remarkably popular. As one man says; "He's a good President. I like him....."

Venezuela - Uncle Sam's Coup?

When Chavez was briefly ousted from power in 2002, many suspected America was involved. Now, a lawyer has obtained incriminating CIA documents proving it was. A top secret CIA brief, written five days before the coup, proves the most incriminating. "It says the coup will take place in the first weeks of April, violence will be provoked in an opposition rally and the President will be taken prisoner", states lawyer, Eva Golinger. "This is what happened." Golinger has spent the last three years investigating the coup, tracing the money trail from Washington to key organisations involved. "It wasn"t just that they were giving them money. They quadrupled the funding from 2001 to 2002." Other declassified documents show the US Embassy praising the coup leader as "the right man at the right time for Venezuela". Remarkably, although the coup failed, Washington has stepped up its funding for the opposition. As Golinger states: '" It s as if they said 'We didn't give you guys enough. We've got to give you more because you failed.'" But ironically, America's support for the opposition seems to have only strengthened Chavez's hold on power.

NO VOLVERAN -The Venezuelan Revolution Now

Behind the bold policies of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is a revolutionary mass movement that is saying NO to capitalism, and attempting to change the course of Latin American history. Journey deep into the barrios, out to the factories and into the heart of the revolution to find out why there is a movement to transform society. Meet the people who are fighting for power in their communities, and taking control of their work places. Follow the factory workers of Sanitarios Maracay in their struggle against sabotage and corruption, as they pave the way forward with their unprecedented campaign for full nationalisation under workers' control. In this feature length documentary, meet many of the key revolutionary figures to find out how they are trying build socialism of the 21st century, and how it is changing peoples lives.