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In a foreign policy filled with numerous low points, the Bush administration's approach to the 2002 coup in Venezuela is one of its most despicable. It of course has been U.S. stated policy for decades that it supports democracy and opposes all military coups and dictatorships. But when the Venezuelan military, working with wealthy oligarchs, overthrew the democratically elected (by an enormous majority) Hugo Chavez, Bush and the State Dept. threw their support behind the plotters and hailed it as an advance for Venezuela. That this set back American foreign policy in Latin America by a decade is a conservative statement.

Irish documentary filmmakers Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain were in Venezuela at the time, making a documentary on Chavez and his attempts to bring reform to Venezuela. Given enormous access during the coup's critical 48 hours, Bartley and O'Briain have constructed a documentary unlike anything you've ever seen. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is heroic journalism and explosive filmmaking. Their footage of the coup's opening moments--when the anti-Chavez forces provoked a confrontation between opposing sides--is absolutely gripping. But even more incendiary is how they expose the plotters' extraordinary duplicity. Using the confrontation as a front, the plotters had placed snipers around the presidential palace and started firing into the pro-Chavez crowd. When chaos broke out, they continued firing, killing many. Then they used the private media, all of which is owned by the wealthy oligarchs, to broadcast that it was Chavez's troops that had fired on the anti-Chavez forces. That became the premise for the military to seize power and for the U.S. to support the coup. The documentary exposes the utter falsity of those claims with amazing footage that completely undermines the images showed on the private tv stations. It then contrasts that with the American media's wholesale acceptance of the deeply biased, anti-Chavez media in Venezuela.

But the most amazing parts are still to come, as the documentary takes us inside the presidential palace where Chavez and his ministers are holed up while the military threatens to bomb them. I won't give anything away for those who don't know the story, but the movie is incredibly powerful. The film is clearly a case of being in the right place at the right time, but Bartley and O'Briain have also edited their footage for maximum effect. It is absolutely riveting and will be an entertaining eye-opener for both the novice in world affairs and the seasoned observer.

In a Q&A which followed the screening, someone asked Bartley how the people in the countryside had received important information that contradicted what the private media was showing. She mentioned that, under Chavez, local neighborhood radio stations and newspapers had been organized independent
of both the state and the oligarchs. That media had been able to alert listeners and readers of what was actually happening, which provoked millions to flood the streets. I was reminded of the Bush administration's claim that more corporate control of media will actually lead to a greater variety of independent voices. The fact that CNN, Fox, and many others continue to parrot that claim is indicative of our current state.

The revolution will not be televised. Fortunately, it was filmed and an amazing film it is. Absolutely a must see.   

J. Robert Parks 11/4/2003