
Hugo Chavez
Socialist for the Twenty-first Century
Mike Gonzalez(Author)
Pluto Press
Published on 20. February 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-0-7453-3465-3 (ISBN)
Description
When Hugo Chavez, then President of Venezuela, died in 2013, millions across the globe mourned. In an age where most politicians inspire only apathy and cynicism, Chavez's popularity, radicalism and vibrant personality were truly unique.
Released one year after Chavez's unexpected death, this dramatic and intimate biography traces Chavez's life from an impoverished rural family to the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas. Mike Gonzalez shows how Chavez's 'Bolivarian revolution' aimed to complete Simon Bolivar's promise of a Latin America free from imperialism.
Gonzalez details Chavez's close connection to the masses and how he enraged wealthy elites by declaring his support for 21st century socialism. He concludes that the struggle for social justice inspired by Chavez can and must continue. This is an ideal guide to Chavez's inspiring life and legacy.
Released one year after Chavez's unexpected death, this dramatic and intimate biography traces Chavez's life from an impoverished rural family to the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas. Mike Gonzalez shows how Chavez's 'Bolivarian revolution' aimed to complete Simon Bolivar's promise of a Latin America free from imperialism.
Gonzalez details Chavez's close connection to the masses and how he enraged wealthy elites by declaring his support for 21st century socialism. He concludes that the struggle for social justice inspired by Chavez can and must continue. This is an ideal guide to Chavez's inspiring life and legacy.
Reviews / Votes
'A seminal work on the ideological and political formation of the former Venezuelan President and leading figure of twenty-first century socialism' -- Francesco Di Bernardo, LSE Review of Books 'For activists and scholars alike, this is an excellent biography, which mirrors in its nuances and subtleties the complexity of the Bolivarian process and the figure of Chavez himself' -- Jeffery R. Webber, Queen Mary University of London, author of Red October: Left-Indigenous Struggles in Modern Bolivia 'Mike Gonzalez possesses a extraordinarily rich knowledge of the Latin American left, has engaged critically with the politics of modern military institutions, and has an abiding interest in independently-minded public figures. He has brought these singular attributes together in this lucid portrait of Hugo Chavez' -- Professor James Dunkerley, Queen Mary UniversityMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
7 b&w photographs
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
196 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7453-3465-3 (9780745334653)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
02/2014
1st Edition
Pluto Press
€9.49
Available for download

E-Book
02/2014
1st Edition
Pluto Press
€80.39
Available for download
Person
Mike Gonzalez is Emeritus Professor of Latin American Studies at the University of Glasgow. He is the author of The Ebb of the Pink Tide (Pluto, 2018) The Last Drop: The Politics of Water (Pluto, 2015) and Hugo Chavez: Socialist for the Twenty-first Century (Pluto, 2014). He is co-editor of Arms and the People (Pluto, 2012).
Content
List of Illustrations
Glossary
Timeline
Introduction: A Man for Difficult Times
1. The Plainsman
2. The Dream of Simon Bolivar
3. From Insurrection to Election
4. Episodes in the Class War
5. The Bolivarian Revolution Advances
6. The Contradictions of Twenty-First-Century Socialism
7. The Legacy of Hugo Chavez
Notes
Index
Glossary
Timeline
Introduction: A Man for Difficult Times
1. The Plainsman
2. The Dream of Simon Bolivar
3. From Insurrection to Election
4. Episodes in the Class War
5. The Bolivarian Revolution Advances
6. The Contradictions of Twenty-First-Century Socialism
7. The Legacy of Hugo Chavez
Notes
Index