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Hugo Chavez: The Definitive Biography of Venezuela's Controversial President
He is one of the most controversial and important world leaders currently in power. In this international bestseller, at last available in English, Hugo Chávez is captured in a critically acclaimed biography, a riveting account of the Venezuelan president who continues to influence, fascinate, and antagonize America.
Born in a small town on the Venezuelan plains, Chávez found his interests radically altered when he entered the military academy in Caracas. There, as Hugo Chávez reveals in dramatic detail, he was drawn to leftist politics and a new sense of himself as predestined to change the fortunes of his country and Latin America as a whole.
Portrayed as never before is the double life Chávez soon began to by day he was a family man and a military officer, but by night he secretly recruited insurgents for a violent overthrow of the government. His efforts would climax in an attempted coup against President Carlos Andrés Pérez, an action that ended in a spectacular failure but gave Chávez his first irresistible taste of celebrity and laid the groundwork for his ascension to the presidency eight years later.
Here is the truth about Chávez’s revolutionary “Bolivarian” government, which stresses economic reforms meant to discourage corruption and empower the poor–while the leader spends seven thousand dollars a day on himself and cozies up to Arab oil elites. Venezuelan journalists Cristina Marcano and Alberto Barrera Tyszka explore the often crude and comical public figure who
condemns George W. Bush in the most fiery language but at the same time hires lobbyists to improve his country’s image in the West. The authors examine not only Chávez’s political career but also his personal life–including his first marriage, which was marked by a long affair and the birth of a troubled son, and his second marriage, which produced a daughter toward whom Chávez’s favoritism has caused private tension and public talk.
This seminal biography is filled with exclusive excerpts from Chávez’s own diary and draws on new research and interviews with such insightful subjects as Herma Marksman, the professor who was his mistress for nine years. Hugo Chávez is an essential work about a man whose power, peculiarities, and passion for the global spotlight only continue to grow.
Born in a small town on the Venezuelan plains, Chávez found his interests radically altered when he entered the military academy in Caracas. There, as Hugo Chávez reveals in dramatic detail, he was drawn to leftist politics and a new sense of himself as predestined to change the fortunes of his country and Latin America as a whole.
Portrayed as never before is the double life Chávez soon began to by day he was a family man and a military officer, but by night he secretly recruited insurgents for a violent overthrow of the government. His efforts would climax in an attempted coup against President Carlos Andrés Pérez, an action that ended in a spectacular failure but gave Chávez his first irresistible taste of celebrity and laid the groundwork for his ascension to the presidency eight years later.
Here is the truth about Chávez’s revolutionary “Bolivarian” government, which stresses economic reforms meant to discourage corruption and empower the poor–while the leader spends seven thousand dollars a day on himself and cozies up to Arab oil elites. Venezuelan journalists Cristina Marcano and Alberto Barrera Tyszka explore the often crude and comical public figure who
condemns George W. Bush in the most fiery language but at the same time hires lobbyists to improve his country’s image in the West. The authors examine not only Chávez’s political career but also his personal life–including his first marriage, which was marked by a long affair and the birth of a troubled son, and his second marriage, which produced a daughter toward whom Chávez’s favoritism has caused private tension and public talk.
This seminal biography is filled with exclusive excerpts from Chávez’s own diary and draws on new research and interviews with such insightful subjects as Herma Marksman, the professor who was his mistress for nine years. Hugo Chávez is an essential work about a man whose power, peculiarities, and passion for the global spotlight only continue to grow.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 25, 2020
Political biography, current to 2004, with hasty postscript regarding 2006 election.
Writers work for one of the opposition newspapers, but the text is not a demonology. It does try to strike a faux balance in Fox News sense, such as when they suggest that both sides have a point when opposition accuses Chavez of “encouraging class conflict” and Chavez says “the nation had previously been living under the false illusion of harmony” (260). It’s hard to sympathize with authors and the opposition when they suggest that lying about harmony is a good thing and commenting on existing class conflict is a bad thing.
Volume does have its uses, such as a succinct background on Chavez, the 1992 coup, the 1998 election, the numerous elections thereafter (which authors do not assert to be fraudulent, and note an opposition accusation of electoral fraud on only one occasion), the April 2002 coup & countercoup.
Some chapters are ineffective. E.g., the introduction sets the tone with “in the long run his economic policies will surely hurt the material well being of most Venezuelans, and his authoritarian behavior is clearly eroding the basic political freedoms that the country enjoyed for decades” (xix)--gotta love naked dogmatism at the outset. Late chapters on Chavez’s sex life and family troubles are simply salacious gossip, and I am surprised that the authors included it, because now I think that they’re fit to write for fashion magazines and scandal rags, rather than serious work. Another late chapter is about Chavez’s use of the media, which is half gossip, half analytical, but of little importance. Because authors are part of the media, they overemphasize the importance of their industry.
Chavez’s ideology is hard to pin down. By 2006 he was talking about “Bolivarian socialism” and “twenty-first century socialism” (293). No idea what the content of that might be. Though he enacted land reform upon first being elected, which is one thing that pissed off the rightwing initially(145), he otherwise governed to “use protectionist capitalism to generate social balance” (149). He apparently lost leftwingers because “despite his invective against savage capitalism and globalization, Chavez opened the telecommunications, gas, and utilities sectors to foreign investors and continued to follow the guidelines recommended by the IMF” (148-49). Some accused “you haven’t touched a single hair on the ass of anyone in the economic sector” (id). So, yeah, not really seeing the far left content.
Authors don’t know what to make of any of that, nor do they present controversial statutes for analysis, merely mentioning that a statute on oil or censorship or whatever was passed, and that many people did not like it. Well, no shit that the ox doesn’t like getting gored. The question on each gored ox is whose, how, and why, which this volume passes over. Authors main concern is that Chavez wants power, “more power,” “always power,” and so on. It’s a wearisome refrain, as though pursuit of nebulously defined “power” is something that they bother to mention regarding anyone else.
Volume also, unforgivably, passes over in near silence the US involvement in the 2002 coup, mentioning only that Chavez accused the US of involvement.
Probably a decent introduction to Chavez, overall.
Writers work for one of the opposition newspapers, but the text is not a demonology. It does try to strike a faux balance in Fox News sense, such as when they suggest that both sides have a point when opposition accuses Chavez of “encouraging class conflict” and Chavez says “the nation had previously been living under the false illusion of harmony” (260). It’s hard to sympathize with authors and the opposition when they suggest that lying about harmony is a good thing and commenting on existing class conflict is a bad thing.
Volume does have its uses, such as a succinct background on Chavez, the 1992 coup, the 1998 election, the numerous elections thereafter (which authors do not assert to be fraudulent, and note an opposition accusation of electoral fraud on only one occasion), the April 2002 coup & countercoup.
Some chapters are ineffective. E.g., the introduction sets the tone with “in the long run his economic policies will surely hurt the material well being of most Venezuelans, and his authoritarian behavior is clearly eroding the basic political freedoms that the country enjoyed for decades” (xix)--gotta love naked dogmatism at the outset. Late chapters on Chavez’s sex life and family troubles are simply salacious gossip, and I am surprised that the authors included it, because now I think that they’re fit to write for fashion magazines and scandal rags, rather than serious work. Another late chapter is about Chavez’s use of the media, which is half gossip, half analytical, but of little importance. Because authors are part of the media, they overemphasize the importance of their industry.
Chavez’s ideology is hard to pin down. By 2006 he was talking about “Bolivarian socialism” and “twenty-first century socialism” (293). No idea what the content of that might be. Though he enacted land reform upon first being elected, which is one thing that pissed off the rightwing initially(145), he otherwise governed to “use protectionist capitalism to generate social balance” (149). He apparently lost leftwingers because “despite his invective against savage capitalism and globalization, Chavez opened the telecommunications, gas, and utilities sectors to foreign investors and continued to follow the guidelines recommended by the IMF” (148-49). Some accused “you haven’t touched a single hair on the ass of anyone in the economic sector” (id). So, yeah, not really seeing the far left content.
Authors don’t know what to make of any of that, nor do they present controversial statutes for analysis, merely mentioning that a statute on oil or censorship or whatever was passed, and that many people did not like it. Well, no shit that the ox doesn’t like getting gored. The question on each gored ox is whose, how, and why, which this volume passes over. Authors main concern is that Chavez wants power, “more power,” “always power,” and so on. It’s a wearisome refrain, as though pursuit of nebulously defined “power” is something that they bother to mention regarding anyone else.
Volume also, unforgivably, passes over in near silence the US involvement in the 2002 coup, mentioning only that Chavez accused the US of involvement.
Probably a decent introduction to Chavez, overall.
October 19, 2007
A very well-written, well-researched and UNBIASED (which is unique when it comes to this topic) read. My only complaint is that it jumps around a bit. However, the authors provide really interesting anecdotes the give a lot of insight to this man who has made such a splash. And I would recommend this to people who don't even know who Chavez is; the authors do a great job of providing enough relevant context to help anyone new to the Chavez debate understand the historical background.
January 30, 2022
The authors of this book made two shrewd decisions before they set down to illustrate their subject. The first was to adopt a journalistic format in their writing. In this aspect, the book shines. Their skill as reporters have granted them the sort of literary charm that works perfectly for putting the reader in the moment, be it the minutes leading up to the coup attempt of 1992 or to the 48-hour coup that attempted to dethrone Chávez a decade later. These are adept reporters whose experience shows also in their objective treatment of the subject. This was the second of their wise decisions: to eschew any attempts to define the politics of Chávez wholesale. The authors excel in negating those view held by the “antichavista” opposition (and many of those held by the chavistas themselves) that the Bolivarian revolution can be defined in the single terms of socialism, communism, cubanism, or most dangerous, populism. Each of these labels is thoroughly put the test by the authors, who through real-world instances, show that the socialist, cubanist aspect of the revolution (namely through the Misiónes in rural parts of the country), were in effect bankrolled by sheer oil wealth. The populist rhetoric that the president enjoyed, on the other hand, was simultaneous with a graceful deference to the economic upper echelon, much of which had to do with oil, many of the emissaries of which were Americans. An excellent work is done in the authors’ depiction of relations with the United States: tenuous, yes. Defined by Chávez’s seething accusations? Not necessarily. As in all things, business comes first, and for the duration of the book, Venezuela maintained its place as the fourth supplier of oil to the United States (or thereabouts).
The strange thing is that the book’s objectivity was its greatest hindrance. So dedicated are the authors to negating the numerous simplifications of the political legacy of Chávez that it becomes difficult to place him politically at all. What is left to be desired is not a clear-cut profile of the character (for that, one might enjoy Jon Lee Anderson’s profile of the President) but a clearer understanding of his inspirations. The book makes it clear that he grew up poor in Sabaneta but it does not make clear where his politics truly came from. A chapter is dedicated to that period in the Ruiz families library (and this is a shining point in the book) in which a Chávez emerging from adolescence is suddenly enlightened. But which works was he gravitated to? Which volumes were those that lined the desk that the Ruizes set aside for him, and the bookshelf in that prison cell in Yare, and that in his own office before he died? While it may be that to track down one man’s political catalyst is an ephemeral task, surely it is the job of a work such as this to supply some answers to that question. In all fairness, the authors do point the reader to professional analysts who do offer some of those answers.
There is a long, silent gap between the year 2006 where this book leaves the reader and the death of its subject in 2013. If only this book would have been written then. It offers a high example dedication to objectivity and exploration of political complexity. If the authors had spared themselves the task only a few years, they might have provided a fitting eulogy to Latin America’s most pivotal leader of the new millennium.
The strange thing is that the book’s objectivity was its greatest hindrance. So dedicated are the authors to negating the numerous simplifications of the political legacy of Chávez that it becomes difficult to place him politically at all. What is left to be desired is not a clear-cut profile of the character (for that, one might enjoy Jon Lee Anderson’s profile of the President) but a clearer understanding of his inspirations. The book makes it clear that he grew up poor in Sabaneta but it does not make clear where his politics truly came from. A chapter is dedicated to that period in the Ruiz families library (and this is a shining point in the book) in which a Chávez emerging from adolescence is suddenly enlightened. But which works was he gravitated to? Which volumes were those that lined the desk that the Ruizes set aside for him, and the bookshelf in that prison cell in Yare, and that in his own office before he died? While it may be that to track down one man’s political catalyst is an ephemeral task, surely it is the job of a work such as this to supply some answers to that question. In all fairness, the authors do point the reader to professional analysts who do offer some of those answers.
There is a long, silent gap between the year 2006 where this book leaves the reader and the death of its subject in 2013. If only this book would have been written then. It offers a high example dedication to objectivity and exploration of political complexity. If the authors had spared themselves the task only a few years, they might have provided a fitting eulogy to Latin America’s most pivotal leader of the new millennium.
April 1, 2019
This is an anti-Chavez biography. It's based on interviews, which, while entertaining, were mostly with people who didn't like him (political rivals, ex-girlfriends, people to the right or left of his political stance... not hard to find amongst the middle class or wealthy). Where are the interviews with the poor Venezuelans who now comprise the _8 or 9 million_ Chavistas? The authors conveniently leave out reasons why Chavez may have had trouble reaching some goals. For example, Chavez wanted Venezuela to grow more of its own food. To do this, he wanted to expropriate _unused_ parts of the vast estates of the rich so the government could grow food on it. But, he met with resistance from--you guessed it--rich people. The authors omit the fact that millions of Venezuelans starved to death before Chavez's socialist reforms. They underplays the achievements of the Chavez government in areas of poverty, literacy, public health (free clinics), daycare, and housing. There is, after all, a reason why the United States has not been able to topple democratically elected President Nicholas Maduro*, even though he lacks the "charisma" of Chavez--often given as the sole reason why Chavez was able to stay in office. I plan to read "We Created Chávez: A People's History of the Venezuelan Revolution" by George Ciccariello-Maher. *Those who doubt that Maduro was democratically elected should watch this fact-based 39 min. documentary featuring the UN Rapporteur Alfred de Zayas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M84P...
August 18, 2023
It is not a book about Hugo Chávez. It is a book against him and the well being of a nation. If one wants to know about Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías there are many books by him and people who are not paid by the CIA to lie about the most important politician in the Global Majority. Ignacio Ramonet is one bad ass writer who interviewed him and is probably the Bible on Comandante Eterno Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías.
February 3, 2020
Not well-written. Authors purport to be journalists, which is not reassuring given the crap writing. Additionally, the authors also purport to be unbiased, yet bias is almost that can be seen here. I was curious & wanted to genuinely learn something when I picked this up. I got a hard sell on their viewpoint, & a bunch of irrelevant gossip. Can't recommend this. Other books exist about Chavez & the Venezuelan people, so I'll just have to keep looking through that material to find any kind of reliable overview.
July 1, 2021
Very confusing to follow, and I don’t think it’s because I’m not super familiar with Venezuelan politics or didn’t know much about Chavez before reading.
April 20, 2008
The rise of a modern day dictator, like HugoChavez is fascinating. Chavez’s career and personal life are examined; excerpts from his diary are included. Chavez’s ideology is explored, his concern for the poor, his military leanings to overthrow the government, an attempted coup, and rise to the presidency of Venezuela His obsession for more and more power drive him and he continues to be very unpredictable. Includes an index.
June 27, 2010
It was interesting to note that Chavez came from such a humble background and states that he hates the rich, but his current lifestyle is hypocritical to his statements. However, he still receives the support of the Venezuelan poor regardless of Chavez spending $7000 US dollars per day just for his personal living expenses.
I didn't like the writing because it bounced back and forth between time periods, and it was somewhat confusing to understand which one the authors were talking about.
I didn't like the writing because it bounced back and forth between time periods, and it was somewhat confusing to understand which one the authors were talking about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2008
The life of Hugo Chavez is full of momments in which he had to face poverty and other hardships. It is really inspiring to read about him and about the many accomplishments that he has gained throught out his personal and political life. This book is full of annecdotes that provide us a better way to understand his life and the way he uses he guides his country. "Viva la Revolucion bolibariana."
May 3, 2017
Not a bad biography but it was written before he died and of course things have moved on since
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews