He’s been portrayed as a savior and an autocrat, a hero to his nation’s poor and a bombastic, would-be dictator eager to dominate the world stage. He calls George Bush a devil and Castro a god. Who is this man Hugo Chávez, and where is he headed?
“The Hugo Chávez Show,” will air Nov. 25 from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on PBS, “Frontline.” Producer Ofra Bikel traveled to Venezuela to offer an illuminating portrait of the Venezuelan president. Through interviews with former government officials, Chávez associates and ordinary Venezuelans, “Frontline” chronicles Chávez’s ascent to power and his efforts to use the powers of the presidency to stay there.
The film also reveals the key role of the media – or, rather, Chávez’s savvy use of the media – in his rise to power. “The Hugo Chávez Show” begins by introducing viewers to “Aló Presidente” or “Hello, President,” a weekly televised show that often runs five to eight hours and features Chávez speaking directly to the people, explaining government policy and mixing in a smattering of songs, poetry and whatever else strikes his fancy.
“Chávez is easily caricatured because he can be funny; he can seem buffoonish on his ‘Aló Presidente,’” journalist Jon Lee Anderson tells “Frontline.” “He sings; he gets involved in wordplay… He’s probably the world’s first virtual president in the age of the communication revolution.”
It was Chávez’s keen grasp of the power of the media that propelled him to power, observers say. During a 1992-failed military coup, Chávez agreed to surrender in exchange for airtime. The failed coup would send Chávez to prison for two years, but the media exposure planted the seeds of a folk hero in the making.
Upon his release from prison in 1994, Chávez began laying the groundwork
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