The Silence and the Scorpion: The Coup Against Chavez and the Making of Modern Venezuela [Hardcover]

Brian A. Nelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 2009

On April 11, 2002, nearly a million Venezuelans marched on the presidential palace to demand the resignation of President Hugo Chavez. Led by Pedro Carmona and Carlos Ortega, the opposition represented a cross-section of society furious with Chavez’s economic policies, specifically his mishandling of the Venezuelan oil industry. But as the day progressed the march turned violent, sparking a military revolt that led to the temporary ousting of Chavez. Over the ensuing, turbulent seventy-two hours, Venezuelans would confront the deep divisions within their society and ultimately decide the best course for their country —and its oil—in the new century.

An exemplary piece of narrative journalism, The Silence and the Scorpion provides rich insight into the complexities of modern Venezuela.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Historian Nelson recreates the dramatic 2002 attempted coup against Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, beginning with accounts of citizens who attended the million-person, violent protest that precipitated the three-day power vacuum. He moves to recounting the events from the perspectives of high-level officials, including Chávez himself, to demonstrate how the stories of ordinary chavista and anti-chavista citizens intertwine with the fates of officials in the highest levels of the Venezuelan government and military. Nelson takes readers from the streets to the halls of the presidential palace, from frightened journalists smuggling tapes of riots back to their stations to be put on the air to a terrified Chávez. For a fuller and fairer picture of the events, the book should be read in conjunction with other accounts of the coup, since Nelson is admittedly biased toward the military figures he interviewed. But his status as a foreigner familiar with the culture of Caracas and an experienced journalist and academic gives him a unique vantage point from which to tell the very personal stories of those three days of chaos. (May)
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Review

Named one of the "Books of the Year" 2009 by The Economist

“…superbly researched…”
“…a compelling narrative…”
“…scrupulously unbiased…”
“It should be read by all those who continue to believe that Mr. Chávez is a worthy champion of democracy and the oppressed.” —The Economist

“…refreshingly impartial and objective…”
“The 2002 coup gives the author a good handle to employ his impressive investigative and storytelling talents, and he succeeds in shedding new light on the complex questions facing Latin America’s most polarize society.”
“…a welcome contribution to the burgeoning literature on Venezuela under the controversial rule of Hugo Chavez.” —America Magazine

“The events of the April 2002 Venezuelan coup to oust President Hugo Chavez are brought to light here in unparalleled investigative reporting by Nelson…”
“His fascinating and harrowing account is part documentary, part eyewitness to history, yet always riveting.”
“At times reading like fiction, his enjoyable text is the definitive account of Chavez's ouster and return, devoid of loyal or opposition rhetoric.”
“Highly recommended.” —Library Journal

“fast-paced” & “engaging” —Kirkus

“Nelson takes readers from the streets to the halls of the presidential palace, from frightened journalists smuggling tapes of riots back to their stations to be put on the air to a terrified Chávez. …[H]is status as a foreigner familiar with the culture of Caracas and an experienced journalist and academic gives him a unique vantage point from which to tell the very personal stories of those three days of chaos.” —Publishers Weekly

“…a must read for anyone seeking to get an unbiased and comprehensive account of the two most controversial days of the Chávez presidency.”
“Nelson treats the April 11th events with hard-earned restraint, fairness, and an absence of the kind of confrontation and anger that has come to characterize the political debate in Venezuela.” —Huffington Post

“…very readable, providing wonderfully detailed firsthand accounts of the coup.”
—NACLA Report on the Americas

“…an enthralling read…shot through with vivid details and strewn with telling and yet all-but-forgotten pieces of the April Puzzle.” —Caracas Chronicles

“Mr. Nelson…dashes Chavez's loud claim that the CIA fomented the popular uprising. The CIA station in Caracas indeed informed Washington of what was brewing - an accepted intelligence function. … The 2002 attempt failed. Will a more effective resistance ultimately upend Chavez's dictatorship? Stay tuned; this saga is far from over.” —Washington Times

""Nelson has given us a case study that brings politics alive. His is an audacious and successful attempt to sort out important political events in their immediacy rather than from a safe distance.... in an effort to draw persons and events vividly, [Nelson] uses narrative devices common to fiction, like interior monologue; and reconstructed dialogue à la Bob Woodward....readers will appreciate his accomplishment." —Current History

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 16 and up
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books; First Edition edition (May 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568584180
• ISBN-13: 978-1568584188
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #647,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Venezuela

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Objective narrative journalism, May 23, 2009

By 

Zimry D. Rios - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Silence and the Scorpion: The Coup Against Chavez and the Making of Modern Venezuela (Hardcover)

April 11, 2002 is not just another date in Venezuelan history. This day thousands of people gathered in a civil march to express their discomfort with Hugo Chavez's government. Not everything ended there; up to this year people are still paying the price for expressing their feeling against a President.

The Silence and the Scorpion portraits the events that took place that day. It does so in a fresh and live way. Thanks to the many interviews of people who were in Caracas, in or near the events as they developed, the narrative style in which this book is written can transport the reader to the place where actions took place. Brian A. Nelson writes an impartial chronicle presenting both sides of the story. He thoroughly interviewed, and presents, "chavistas" and "anti-chavistas" so the reader can come to his/her own conclusions on the whole event after reading his work.

Nelson also gives interesting and important background information on Venezuelan history. Fact that is relevant so we, as readers, can know who Hugo Chávez is and what his ideals are based on as the President of Venezuela. It is done in an informative way, it is very far from American Propaganda, as some have called it.

Everything occurs in a time line which is well respected and illustrated by Nelson. The photos can actually help to have a better picture of what people went through in those hours. It is content up to date and with factual information that every person interested in Latin American history and politics should read. It is not written only for the Venezuelan public. Non Venezuelans can get a good educative reading through this narrative.

The Silence and the Scorpion is one of those "hard to put down" books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was there..., January 16, 2011

By 

Venezuelan Citizen - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Silence and the Scorpion: The Coup Against Chavez and the Making of Modern Venezuela (Hardcover)

I was as part of the rally on April 11 2002 and got my share of tear gases; thanks God I never reached the vicinities of the presidential palace, or maybe I wouldn't be writing this. Some of the facts presented by Nelson favor the government; some favor the opposition, which makes his story credible. I think we will never know exactly what happened that week in Venezuela, however I couldn't find any inconsistencies between Nelson's story and my recollection of the events, so I do believe he made an excellent and sincere effort to find the truth. Everything in the story he tells makes sense to me; indeed, many things for which I could never find a logical explanation about the actions of politicians, generals, etc, now make sense after reading this book. For the record, I am a strong believer in Democracy and in the Social responsibility of the State, to ensure fair and equal opportunities to every citizen (health, education, jobs..); I come from a poor background, and I demonstrated against governments before Chavez's but I never faced the repression and political prosecution I have seen from his regimen. Authoritarian regimes are unacceptable, no matter if they come from the Right or from the Left, they all violate Human Rights.

15 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oustanding journalism work, May 8, 2009

By 

Ian F. Brillembourg "Ianfe" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Silence and the Scorpion: The Coup Against Chavez and the Making of Modern Venezuela (Hardcover)

For once, serious, professional journalism dives into an incredibly murky historical event that most people I know don't really understand, myself included- and I lived it.

Brian Nelson obviously went to incredible lengths in order to research for this work, and does an impressive job of illustrating the motivations of both sides, while remaining impartial in his writing.

What's amazing is that he manages to take those dry, objective facts and tells a great story that keeps you turning pages! There are a few places here or there where the narrator does too good a job of quoting, or emulating, Chavez's speeches. Anyone who's watched an "Alo Presidente" knows what I mean: you hate every second of it but are somehow enthralled into hearing it, just to stand awash in the irritation of it. I imagine that will give foreigners a real glimpse into the Venezuelan experience.

Indeed, for all my friends abroad who have discussed Chavez or Venezuela with me, this is a book I highly recommend.