BOOKS: A mud hut monkey who scares the USA

MOST of the reports about Hugo Chávez and the Venezuelan revolution over the past ten years have been vicious, heavily influenced by the hostility of the USA. But Bart Jones, who is openly sympathetic to Chávez, does an exemplary job of examining his life and actions from a plethora of perspectives.
All writers skew and shape their subjects but Jones’ biographical credentials are first class. He lived in Venezuela for eight years and conducted a series of interviews with Chávez. He resided first with the destitute in a poor Caracas barrio as a Maryknoll lay worker when he arrived from the States and then, working as a foreign correspondent for Associated Press, moved into the exclusive Altamira neighbourhood, a bastion of the opulent opposition to Chávez. So Jones has witnessed, first hand, the two extremes of Venezuelan society. He describes the Chávez story he documents as “straight out of Hollywood”. His narrative is full of vividly descriptive passages that give brilliant clarity in the most cluttered of political landscapes. His account of the 1992 coup attempts and the 2002 coup read like a good thriller. And with shrewd analysis, rendered in accessible language, he brings to life the passions of both sides – allowing the layman to join the dots. This is illustrated in his analysis of the employer-led oil strike and Chávez’ refusal to renew RCTV’s broadcasting license which the US described as an attempt to silence opponents, further proof that the democratically elected president is really a dictator.