George Ciccariello-Maher says ‘We Created Chavez’

A few questions with the author of a book that aims to show Hugo Chávez in a new light

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  • DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS

In his book We Created Chávez: A People’s History of the Venezuelan Revolution, George Ciccariello-Maher seeks to clarify a few things about the former President’s rise to power and the many political battles that led to his control of the country. To do so, he spent years researching the political history of Venezuela and interviewing many of the leftist militant groups, guerilla fighters and grassroots activists that, for decades, have been instrumental in developing a political system for the Venezuelan people. Ciccariello-Maher goes to great lengths to show how Chávez is less of the creator that many people have made him out to be and more the created.

George Ciccariello-Maher discussed his new book with CL via email as he prepared for his upcoming reading in Atlanta.

You’ve conducted many interviews and have amassed a large amount of historical information that adds a significant amount of context for Chávez’s rise. How long have you been doing research for this book?

GCM: I first conceived the book while living in Venezuela in 2007, so it has been in the works for quite some time. However, the bulk of the interviews were conducted between 2008 and 2009, although I returned more recently to cover the October 2012 elections. When I go, my emphasis is always the same: to focus on the revolutionary grassroots perspective and movements.