Chávez, Venezuela and the New Latin America: An interview with Hugo Chávez (Paperback)

~ Aleida Guevara (Author), Hugo Chávez (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Is President Chávez the new Fidel Castro? Is Venezuela the new Cuba? Elected by an overwhelming popular mandate in 1998, Hugo Chávez is now one of Latin America's most controversial political figures. In this exclusive interview, Chávez expresses a fiercely nationalist vision for Venezuela and a commitment to a united Latin America. He discusses the significance of the military coup against his government in April 2002, Venezuela's new democratic constitution and assesses his relations with the United States and Cuba.

"Soviet power has collapsed but that does not mean that neoliberal capitalism has to be the model followed by the peoples of the West... This world cannot be run by a universal police force that seeks to control everything." -President Hugo Chávez

About the Author

Hugo Chávez is the President of Venezuela. He came to power in a landslide election in 1998 and was subsequently reelected. He survived a military coup in April 2002 when he was forcibly detained and faced execution.

David Deutschmann has edited numerous titles on Cuba, notably "The Che Guevara Reader" and "The Fidel Castro Reader."

Javier Salado is a journalist based in Havana, Cuba.

Product Details

• Paperback: 143 pages
• Publisher: Ocean Press (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1920888004
• ISBN-13: 978-1920888008
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #456,609 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The new Latin America, August 8, 2005

By	Jesus Aguilar - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There is a wind of change in Latin America. Hugo Chavez is at the forefront of the political and social movements in Latin America. To some he's considered a tyrant, but the truth is that he does'nt peddle to the wishes of Washington as other Latin American leaders have done throughout the 19th and 20th century. The attempted coupe of 2002 and the referendum are proof that the citizens of Venezuela need the guidance of the Bolivarian Revolution and Hugo Chavez. This by far is the best book on Hugo Chavez I've read so far because it's him in his own words in an interview conducted by Aleida Guevara, daughter of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna(Che). Why is it when leaders choose the well being of their own citizens first by reforming past neoliberal policies that they are considered by the U.S. threats to democracy? The past opportunities that Latin America had in the 20th century to progress after centuries of Spanish colonialism were twarted by American intervention with the coupes against Arbenz in Guatemala and the murder of Salvador Allende in Chile. It almost happened again and you could see the complicity of the U.S. when it was the sole country of the Americas to recognize the new government after the coupe.
Change this time will not be stopped, up next Mexico...

27 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for a personal profile, September 9, 2005

By	R. Manning - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you wish to have a decent look at the opinions of a man who has become, increasingly, a thorn in the side of the U.S. government, this is an excellent book. The author basically presents the viewpoint of Hugo Chavez as gathered in interviews with little or no editorializing. As such, it provides a fair explanation for some of his actions, his distrust of the U.S. and other economic powers, and his visions for the future of Venezuela. Through this book you can get a sense for the ability Chavez has to relate to people, particularly poor people in his own country, and gain some understanding of the reasons for his popularity. I would highly recommend reading other books that present opposing viewpoints, however, since some of what's presented is obviously affected by Chavez's rose-colored glasses.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Leader at the Right Time, June 9, 2006

By	Brandon Pyke - See all my reviews

While the U.S. has always been a Republic and a democracy on paper, it has never been either in practice. A major feature of the U.S. system is that its White citizens have been led to believe they live in a republic and a democracy while the nonwhite population is reminded in no uncertain terms, that they were never part of the original deal. The U.S. is actually run by a banking based oligarchy, which rules a population kept perpetually divided along racial, and or ideological lines. A divided population is easier to control, thus Americans are encouraged to remain divided, for this reason. Venezuela like most of the former 'slaveowning' nations of the Americas, has long been run by an oligarchy like that of the U.S. Since the systems are the same, the same racial and ideological divisions used to govern the U.S., have been used to govern Venezuela. In time the oligarchy based in the U.S. has come to dominate the entire hemisphere.

Enter Hugo Chavez: an man of non-white ancestry, who dares to challenge the centuries old system of oligarchical rule. Not only has he energized those traditionally at the bottom of the socio-economic and racial pecking order, he is uniting all Venezuelans in ways which transcend the old racial and ideological divisions. This is a great development for people interested in freeing themselves from the iron grip of the banker oligarchy. For those who serve them however, this is a dangerous development, hence the vitriolic diatribes against him in the U.S. and Venezuelan mainstream media. In this book Chavez speaks in his own words, and gives ample coverage of his mission to elevate those who've been oppressed and exploited by the oligarchy, into the full benefits of citizenship and self determination. The unsuccessful coup attempt against Chavez has good and bad aspects. A good aspect because the forces of oligarchial slavery were defeated. A bad aspect because the oligarchy is sure to resort to more diabolical measures in an attempt to crush the blossoming of real democracy Chavez has wrought.