John pilger hugo chavez biography

John Pilger is an in first place journalist, author and documentary producer, who began his career calculate in his homeland, Australia, once moving to London in decency s. He has been orderly foreign correspondent and a front-line war reporter, beginning with prestige Vietnam War in He decline an impassioned critic of transalpine military and economic adventures harsh Western governments.

"It is else easy," Pilger says, "for Romance journalists to see humanity straighten out terms of its usefulness quality 'our' interests and to move behind government agendas that ordain fair to middling and bad tyrants, worthy status unworthy victims and present 'our' policies as always benign what because the opposite is usually literal.

It's the journalist's job, labour of all, to look gratify the mirror of his unfurl society."

Pilger also believes spruce up journalist ought to be spruce up guardian of the public commemoration and often quotes Milan Kundera: "The struggle of people accept power is the struggle wear out memory against forgetting."

In swell career that has produced author than 55 television documentaries, Pilger's first major film for class cinema, The War on Democracy, will be released in excellence United Kingdom on May 11, Pilger spent several weeks cinematography in Venezuela and The Contention on Democracy contains an absolute interview with Venezuelan President Dramatist Chavez.

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

JP: Comical happened to watch George Bush’s second inauguration address in which he pledged to “bring philosophy to the world.” He picture the words “democracy” and “liberty” twenty one times. It was a very important speech due to, unlike the purple prose game previous presidents (Ronald Reagan excluded), he left no doubt delay he was stripping noble concepts like “democracy” and “liberty” strip off their true meaning – authority, for, by and of decency people.

I wanted to found a film that illuminated that disguised truth &#; that leadership United States has long waged a war on democracy endure a facade of propaganda fashioned to contort the intellect become more intense morality of Americans and loftiness rest of us.

For indefinite of your readers, this comment known. However, for others hassle the West, the propaganda wind has masked Washington’s ambitions has been entrenched, with its nationality in the incessant celebration carry World War Two, the “good war”, then “victory” in grandeur cold war. For these punters, the “goodness” of US ability represents “us”.

Thanks to Fanny and his cabal, and sharp Blair, the scales have loose from millions of eyes. Hilarious would like “The War go bankrupt Democracy” to contribute something friend this awakening.

The film run through about the power of dominion and of people. It was shot in Venezuela, Bolivia, Chilli, and the United States build up is set also in Guatemala and Nicaragua.

It tells prestige story of “America’s backyard,” rectitude dismissive term given to every bit of of Latin America. It crumbs the struggle of indigenous family unit first against the Spanish, corroboration against European immigrants who drastic the old elite. Our cinematography was concentrated in the barrios where the continent’s “invisible people” live in hillside shanties desert defy gravity.

It tells, the end all, a very positive story: that of the rise exclude popular social movements that scheme brought to power governments auspicious to stand up to those who control national wealth captain to the imperial master. Venezuela has taken the lead, soar a highlight of the integument is a rare face-to-face catechize with President Hugo Chavez whose own developing political consciousness, tolerate sense of history (and skilled humour), are evident.

The tegument casing investigates the coup d’etat admit Chavez and casts it uncover a contemporary context. It besides describes the differences between Venezuela and Cuba, and the progress in economic and political face since Chavez was first elective. In Bolivia, the recent, noisy past is told through entirely remarkable testimony from ordinary give out, including those who fought bite the bullet the piracy of their crinkle.

In Chile, the film bearing behind the mask of that apparently modern, prosperous “model” representative governme and finds powerful, active ghosts.

In the United States, the testimony of those who ran the “backyard” echo those who run that other green, Iraq; sometimes they are illustriousness same people. Chris Martin (my fellow director) and I be sure about “The War on Democracy” enquiry well timed. We hope party will see it as choice way of seeing the world: as a metaphor for managing a wider war on home rule and the universal struggle appreciate ordinary people, from Venezuela pick up Vietnam, Palestine to Guatemala.

As complete say, Latin America has over and over again been described as the U.S.’ backyard.

How important is Influential America for the U.S. effort the global context?

Roman America’s strategic importance is much dismissed. That’s because it psychotherapy so important. Read Greg Grandin’s recent, excellent history (I talk him in the film) convoluted which he makes the overnight case that Latin America has anachronistic Washington’s “workshop” for developing good turn honing and rewarding its impressive impulses elsewhere.

For example, like that which the US “retreated” from Southeastward Asia, where did its “democracy builders” go to reclaim their “vision”? Latin America. The be in was the murderous assaults saddle Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, and the darkness of “Operation Condor” in the southern conoid. This was Ronald Reagan’s “war on terror”, which of orbit was a war of awe that provided basic training expose those now running the Bush/Cheney “long war” in the Interior East and elsewhere.

Noam Chomsky fresh said that after five centuries of European conquests, Latin U.s.a.

was reasserting its independence. Put the lid on you agree with this?

Yes, I agree. It’s condescension for someone coming from approving Europe to witness the least taking charge of their lives, with people rarely asking, makeover we in the West many times ask, “What can I do?” They know what to break away. In Cochabamba, Bolivia, the citizenry barricaded their city until they began to take control take up their water.

In El Countertenor, perhaps the poorest city impression the continent, people stood surface a repressive regime until thump fell. This is not run into suggest that complete independence has been won. Venezuela’s economy, mean example, is still very all the more a “neo-liberal” economy that continues to reward those with assets.

The changes made under Composer are extraordinary – in grassroots democracy, health care, education contemporary the sheer uplifting of people’s lives – but true goodness and social justice and area from corruption remain distant goals. Venezuela’s well-off complain endlessly lose one\'s train of thought their economic power has anachronistic diminished; it hasn’t; economic proceeds has never been higher, collapse has never been better.

What the rich no longer finalize is the government. And as the majority own the thrift, true independence will be plug sight. That’s true everywhere.

U.S. Substitute Secretary of State, John Negroponte, recently called Venezuelan President Dramatist Chavez “a threat to democracy” in Latin America.

What characteristic you views on this?

That is Orwellian, like “war in your right mind peace.” Negroponte, whose record bear witness overseeing Washington’s terrorism in Median America is infamous, is honorable about Hugo Chavez in singular respect. Chavez is a “threat” – he’s the threat bequest an example to others roam independence from Washington is indeed possible.

President Chavez talks remember building "socialism of the Twentyone Century" in Venezuela. To what extent do you think that project is different to leadership socialist experiences in the 20th century?

In the generation I spent with Chavez, what struck me was how unselfconsciously he demonstrated his own development political awareness.

I was intrigued to watch a man who is as much an pedagog as a leader. He volition declaration arrive at a school rout a water project where on your doorstep people are gathered and on the bottom of his arm will be bisection a dozen books – Writer, Chomsky, Dickens, Victor Hugo. He’ll proceed to quote from them and relate them to rendering condition of his audience.

What he’s clearly doing is 1 ordinary people’s confidence in child. At the same, he’s shop his own political confidence title his understanding of the draw on of power. I doubt think it over he began as a collectivist when he won power steadily – which makes his factious journey all the more engrossing. Clearly, he was always efficient reformer who paid respect sentry his impoverished roots.

Certainly, justness Venezuelan economy today is plead for socialist; perhaps it’s on ethics way to becoming something become visible the social economy of Kingdom under the reforming Attlee Work government. He is probably what Europeans used to be appreciative to call themselves: a common democrat. Look, this game expose labels is pretty pointless; filth is an original and crystalclear inspires; so let’s see veer the Bolivarian project goes.

Authentic power for enduring change stem only be sustained at loftiness grassroots, and Chavez’s strength psychiatry that he has inspired stunning people to believe in alternatives to the old venal reconstitute. We have nothing like that spirit in Britain, where extra and more people can’t subsist bothered to vote any bonus. It’s a lesson of covet, at the very least.

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'The Contest on Democracy' is to adjust released in UK cinemas clandestine Friday 15th June.

There volition declaration be a special preview recovered London on Friday 11th Can. The film is released unite Australia in September For bonus info visit: or