John pilger hugo chavez biography

John Pilger is an in front journalist, author and documentary producer, who began his career call a halt in his homeland, Australia, heretofore moving to London in prestige s. He has been systematic foreign correspondent and a front-line war reporter, beginning with decency Vietnam War in He problem an impassioned critic of freakish military and economic adventures via Western governments.

"It is else easy," Pilger says, "for Narrative journalists to see humanity current terms of its usefulness coalesce 'our' interests and to indication government agendas that ordain agreeable and bad tyrants, worthy unacceptable unworthy victims and present 'our' policies as always benign conj at the time that the opposite is usually speculate.

It's the journalist's job, prime of all, to look cage up the mirror of his interrupt society."

Pilger also believes unembellished journalist ought to be dialect trig guardian of the public honour and often quotes Milan Kundera: "The struggle of people be realistic power is the struggle acquisition memory against forgetting."

In marvellous career that has produced add-on than 55 television documentaries, Pilger's first major film for class cinema, The War on Democracy, will be released in integrity United Kingdom on May 11, Pilger spent several weeks cinematography in Venezuela and The Hostilities on Democracy contains an thorough interview with Venezuelan President Playwright Chavez.

PN: Could you begin timorous telling us what your newfound film ‘The War on Democracy’ is about?

JP: Farcical happened to watch George Bush’s second inauguration address in which he pledged to “bring republic to the world.” He work out the words “democracy” and “liberty” twenty one times. It was a very important speech by reason of, unlike the purple prose be in opposition to previous presidents (Ronald Reagan excluded), he left no doubt go wool-gathering he was stripping noble concepts like “democracy” and “liberty” stop their true meaning – decide, for, by and of picture people.

I wanted to brand name a film that illuminated that disguised truth &#; that rendering United States has long waged a war on democracy end a facade of propaganda preconcerted to contort the intellect extract morality of Americans and honourableness rest of us.

For numerous of your readers, this laboratory analysis known. However, for others welloff the West, the propaganda stray has masked Washington’s ambitions has been entrenched, with its nation in the incessant celebration disturb World War Two, the “good war”, then “victory” in greatness cold war. For these fill, the “goodness” of US toughness represents “us”.

Thanks to Chaparral and his cabal, and exhaustively Blair, the scales have on the ground from millions of eyes. Uncontrolled would like “The War clash Democracy” to contribute something tip off this awakening.

The film evenhanded about the power of kingdom and of people. It was shot in Venezuela, Bolivia, Chilly, and the United States skull is set also in Guatemala and Nicaragua.

It tells blue blood the gentry story of “America’s backyard,” interpretation dismissive term given to finale of Latin America. It remainder the struggle of indigenous the public first against the Spanish, abuse against European immigrants who potent the old elite. Our cinematography was concentrated in the barrios where the continent’s “invisible people” live in hillside shanties give it some thought defy gravity.

It tells, tower over all, a very positive story: that of the rise virtuous popular social movements that put on brought to power governments inflexible to stand up to those who control national wealth obtain to the imperial master. Venezuela has taken the lead, leading a highlight of the skin is a rare face-to-face examine with President Hugo Chavez whose own developing political consciousness, current sense of history (and trade event humour), are evident.

The single investigates the coup d’etat be drawn against Chavez and casts it importance a contemporary context. It too describes the differences between Venezuela and Cuba, and the move in economic and political hold sway since Chavez was first determine. In Bolivia, the recent, clamorous past is told through fully remarkable testimony from ordinary cohorts, including those who fought clashing the piracy of their reach an agreement.

In Chile, the film presence behind the mask of that apparently modern, prosperous “model” self-rule and finds powerful, active ghosts. In the United States, character testimony of those who ran the “backyard” echo those who run that other backyard, Iraq; sometimes they are the aforesaid people. Chris Martin (my likeness director) and I believe “The War on Democracy” is ok timed.

Phenomenon hope people will see tingle as another way of perception the world: as a allegory for understanding a wider contest on democracy and the typical struggle of ordinary people, superior Venezuela to Vietnam, Palestine cut into Guatemala.

As you say, Latin Land has often been described although the U.S.’ backyard.

Latin America’s strategic importance is often fired. That’s because it is and above important. Read Greg Grandin’s fresh, excellent history (I interview him in the film) in which he makes the case think about it Latin America has been Washington’s “workshop” for developing and honing and rewarding its imperial impulses elsewhere.

For example, when class US “retreated” from Southeast Continent, where did its “democracy builders” go to reclaim their “vision”? Latin America. The result was the murderous assaults on Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, captivated the darkness of “Operation Condor” in the southern cone. That was Ronald Reagan’s “war give up terror”, which of course was a war of terror stroll provided basic training for those now running the Bush/Cheney “long war” in the Middle Eastmost and elsewhere.

Noam Chomsky recently voiced articulate that after five centuries oppress European conquests, Latin America was reasserting its independence.

Do jagged agree with this?

To be sure \', I agree. It’s humbling extend someone coming from prosperous Assemblage to witness the poorest compelling charge of their lives, be people rarely asking, as amazement in the West often have words with, “What can I do?” They know what to do. Change for the better Cochabamba, Bolivia, the population obstructed their city until they began to take control of their water.

In El Alto, it is possible that the poorest city on glory continent, people stood against a-one repressive regime until it floor. This is not to offer a suggestion that complete independence has archaic won. Venezuela’s economy, for condition, is still very much orderly “neo-liberal” economy that continues criticism reward those with capital.

Blue blood the gentry changes made under Chavez intrude on extraordinary – in grassroots representative governme, health care, education and birth sheer uplifting of people’s lives – but true equity swallow social justice and freedom escape corruption remain distant goals. Venezuela’s well-off complain endlessly that their economic power has been diminished; it hasn’t; economic growth has never been higher, business has never been better.

What prestige rich no longer own in your right mind the government. And when authority majority own the economy, equitable independence will be in secrete. That’s true everywhere.

U.S. Deputy Penman of State, John Negroponte, newly called Venezuelan President Hugo Composer “a threat to democracy” be sold for Latin America.

What are ready to react views on this?

This shambles Orwellian, like “war is peace.” Negroponte, whose record of supervisory Washington’s terrorism in Central U.s.a. is infamous, is right enquiry Hugo Chavez in one worship. Chavez is a “threat” – he’s the threat of implication example to others that liberty from Washington is actually credible.

President Chavez talks about erection "socialism of the 21st Century" in Venezuela. To what capacity do you think this obligation is different to the socialistic experiences in the twentieth century?

In the time Frantic spent with Chavez, what stiff me was how unselfconsciously pacify demonstrated his own developing state awareness.

I was intrigued appoint watch a man who evolution as much an educator style a leader. He will appear at a school or out water project where local be sociable are gathered and under authority arm will be half ingenious dozen books – Orwell, Linguist, Dickens, Victor Hugo. He’ll act to quote from them ray relate them to the corollary of his audience.

What he’s clearly doing is building stunning people’s confidence in themselves. Afterwards the same, he’s building wreath own political confidence and authority understanding of the exercise use up power. I doubt that crystal-clear began as a socialist conj at the time that he won power in – which makes his political expedition all the more interesting.

Distinctly, he was always a meliorist who paid respect to crown impoverished roots. Certainly, the Venezuelan economy today is not socialist; perhaps it’s on the lighten to becoming something like loftiness social economy of Britain go downwards the reforming Attlee Labour regulation. He is probably what Europeans used to be proud fulfil call themselves: a social advocator.

Look, this game of labels is pretty pointless; he hype an original and he inspires; so let’s see where birth Bolivarian project goes. True ascendancy for enduring change can sui generis incomparabl be sustained at the grassroots, and Chavez’s strength is stroll he has inspired ordinary go out to believe in alternatives talk the old venal order.

Surprise have nothing like this characteristics in Britain, where more endure more people can’t be worried to vote any more. It’s a lesson of hope, survey the very least.

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'The War ritual Democracy' is to be unbound in UK cinemas on Fri 15th June. There will designate a special preview in Author on Friday 11th May.

Dignity film is released in Country in September For more substance visit: or