In the Shadow of the Liberator: The Impact of Hugo Chávez on Venezuela and Latin America - Softcover

"A colourful and readable account of Chavez's background and beliefs."--"Financial Times""Chavez, as Richard Gott's readable profile makes clear, is no ordinary "caudillo"."--"Time Higher Education Supplement""Gott is always and interesting, well-informed, and engaging writer. Washington would be wise to pay attention to this account, since Chavez's radical nationalism ... is presumably raising eyebrows in Foggy Bottom and Langley."--"Foreign Affairs""Little is known in detail of Chavez's life, career, and ideas. This study ... begins to fill the gaps."--"Multicultural Review""This book shows its author back on top form as a supreme interpreter of Latin America."--"The Independent""This timely book will be eagerly devoured by all those who wish to understand Latin America's new radicalism."--"New Statesman"

The spectre of Simon Bolivar hovers once again over Latin America as the aims and ambitions of the Liberator are taken up by Comandante Hugo Chavez, the charismatic and controversial President of Venezuela. Welcomed by the inhabitants of the teeming shanty towns of Caracas as their potential saviour, and greeted by Washington with considerable alarm, this former golpista-turned-democrat has already begun the most wide-ranging transformation of oil-rich Venezuela for 500 years, and has dramatically affected the political debate throughout Latin America. In a first-hand report from Venezuela, correspondent Richard Gott places the Comandante in historical perspective, and examines his plans and programmes. He describes the support and opposition that these attract, and argues that this experiment may prove a new way forward for Latin America.