Hugo Chavez

The hour-shy biographical documentary Hugo Chavez traces the rise to power of Venezuela's charismatic and controversial leader from his humble origins. While serving in the military, Chavez led the failed 1992 coup against then-president Carlos Andres Perez. After a two-year imprisonment, Chavez co-founded the “Movement for the Fifth Republic” and was elected president in 1998 in a landslide victory. Chavez's staunch anti-Americanism and promises of 21st century socialism, which are embodied in efforts to end poverty with programs such as land reform and the Bolivar Plan—which mobilized the army to do humanitarian work—have all insured his popularity with the nation's poor. At the same time, Chavez has attracted a number of opponents who fear his growing power. Chavez is interviewed throughout, but just as on his weekly radio show in which he addresses the populace on topics like baseball, he often comes off here as passionate but vague and uninformed. Insightful commentaries from journalists, academics, and politicians, however, while often critical, still reveal a grudging respect for his leadership capabilities. These interviewees, combined with voiceover narration and archival footage, provide a more substantive picture of Chavez's policies. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (N. Egan)