Book Discussion - Comandante: Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela

Details
For this meeting, we’ll be discussing Rory Carroll’s Comandante: Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela. The book traces Chávez’s rise from impoverished cadet to populist president and offers a clear report on how his charismatic yet chaotic rule inspired fervent devotion in some Venezuelans while provoking fear and disillusionment in others.

Feel free to join even if you don’t finish the book; our discussions are informal and welcome all perspectives. This interview offers a preview into the book and the author's perspective.

Length: 336 pages

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Book Description
In Comandante, acclaimed journalist Rory Carroll tells the inside story of Hugo Chávez’s life, investigates his time as Venezuela’s president and assesses his legacy. Carroll examines the almost religious devotion of millions of Venezuelans who regarded Chávez as a saviour, as well as the loathing of those who branded him a dictator. Drawing on interviews with ministers, aides, courtiers and citizens, this intimate piece of reportage chronicles a unique experiment in power that veered from enlightenment to tyranny and from comedy to farce.