Chávez on TV: What "El Comandante" Says About Rising Populism

Moisés Naím doesn’t shy away from new projects. But the Venezuelan economist and TV host’s latest creative endeavor has sparked more than the usual controversy. “El Comandante,” a telenovela about Venezuela’s late former President Hugo Chávez , takes liberties with the strongman’s biography even as it considers his legacy and sheds light on his rise to power. Naím, a former trade minister whose book provided the basis for the show, insists it is “a work of fiction that doesn’t pretend to be a historical document.” But the reaction from Latin American audiences so far suggests that viewers aren’t taking the subject matter lightly. “What is clear is that no one is indifferent to Hugo Chávez,” said Naím. “He aroused opinions and passions in favor and against him.” More…