From: Paul Bullock (paulbullock@ebms-ltd.co.uk)
Date: Thu Mar 13 2003 - 17:21:06 EST
Michael,
the article on venezuela in the Irish Times you've passed on was used in a much more detailed account given in July 2002 in FRFI, where as many direct accounts were incorporated as possible. You can find it on
www.rcgfrfi.easynet.co.uk
press the Fight Rascism.Fight Imperialism : button, top left, go to number 167 and click on 'Defeated Coup' and also 'Background'.
best regards
paul
best regards
Paul Bullock
----- Original Message -----
From: michael a. lebowitz
To: mlebowit@sfu.ca
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 4:24 PM
Subject: [OPE-L:8602] 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised'
Dear Friends and Comrades,
Let me suggest that you keep an eye out for "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", a powerful and moving new documentary by Kim Bartley which details events leading up to the coup in Venezuela last April and then has incredible footage covering: the planning of the coup, its execution, the murders on the street immediately before, what was happening inside Miraflores during the coup, the response of the people and the army, and the return of the elected government and Chavez to Miraflores. What this film especially makes clear is who the enemies of the Bolivarian Revolution were (and are), and how they function.
Kim (who let a few folks see it when in Caracas last week--- it won't be shown publicly here for a while) indicates that the reaction to its world premiere last week at a film festival was quite powerful, and that the film has now been picked up by HBO and by an international distributor. It's not clear yet when HBO, the BBC and CBC (all of whom are committed to show it) will broadcast "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", but it's likely that it will be before or on the anniversary of the coup on 11 April. She indicates that the definite showing times are:
RTE, Ireland, Network 2, Saturday March 15th 9.30pm
Arte, France & Germany, March 16th, 8.30pm
The old Egyptian theatre, Los Angeles, Sunday 16th March, not sure of the
time.
SXSW film festival, Austin Texas, screening today and again next wednesday I
think (website is www.sxsw.com)
The rest of the dates for europe, BBC and HBO need to be checked with the
office but they're not in today so I'll forward them as soon as possible.
We also will have a website up and runing in the next few days at:
chavezthefilm.com (right now there's a guide page but we hope to have the
reall thing up and runing asap).
[The showing in Hollywood on the 15th is at 6:30]
An interview from last year with Kim follows.
in solidarity,
mike
================================
IRISH FILMMAKER'S
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF
VENEZUELAN COUP D'ÉTAT
Michael McCaughan speaks to Kim Bartley,
who witnessed last weekend's coup attempt
in Venezuela
Reprinted from
Irish Times 16 April 2002
[Posted 18 April 2002]
(Thanks to Karl Sanchez for this article)
=======================================
Ms Kim Bartley and Mr Donnacha O'Brien have spent
the past three months filming a documentary on
Venezuelan President Mr Hugo Chavez for Power
Productions, an independent film company based
in Galway.
"I arrived in the centre of town just as the shooting
started," says Kim. "I filmed a while then took cover in a
doorway. Whoever was firing aimed directly at the crowd,
which was pro-Chavez. I filmed two dead bodies, both of
them beside the podium set up to rally Chavistas to
defend the presidential palace.
"A woman working in the vice-president's office identified
the bodies as a legal secretary and an archivist, both
working inside the building. A 10-year-old girl was then
taken away, fatally injured.
"More shots. We ran for cover like everyone else.
We made it to the palace through back streets as the firing
continued and as soon as we got in the gate another
sniper started aiming at the crowd. We were all thrown
to the ground behind a wall and later ran for cover into
the building. Three of the snipers were arrested . . .
"Chavez was about to explain what was happening
in a live television broadcast but the state channel's
signal was cut just as he began to speak.
"The army generals arrived and went off for a meeting with
Chavez. The evening passed in a flash as we waited for
news inside the presidential palace. A tearful Environmental
Minister, Ms Analisa Osorio, emerged in the early hours of
Friday, announcing the end of an era. 'He's under arrest,'
she said. Chavez emerged, barely visible with all the
bodyguards and junta soldiers jostling both to protect and
arrest him.
"The atmosphere turned ugly. Radio and television
immediately announced the resignation of Chavez and
began broadcasting upbeat messages: 'Venezuela is
finally free' was the banner across all private TV channels.
"The government went into hiding. Everyone fled for their
lives. The witch-hunt began. We decided not to go home,
checking into a hotel instead, for safety . . .
"The media kept repeating footage of the swearing-in
ceremony of the interim president [Pedro Carmona] which
was followed by images of empty streets, everything in
perfect tranquillity. We were about to book a ticket to
Panama when a well-dressed passer-by told us to get
off the streets. 'The Chavistas are coming' he said.
It was Saturday afternoon.
"We took a taxi to the centre, where huge crowds had
surrounded the palace, demanding the return of Chavez.
We managed to get inside and found several Chavez
deputies calling round the country to find out what was
going on. A dozen people who were working for the
interim government had been taken to a room in the
basement for their own safety.
"Reports came in from around the country, barracks by
barracks, like a Eurovision song contest jury, that the
military was rebelling against the coup. Then came the
rumours that a commando had been sent to kill Chavez
at the army base where he was being kept.
"The television continued to broadcast a steady diet of soap
operas, saying nothing about the huge mobilisation, which
was now making a deafening racket outside. Then came the
news that Chavez had been freed and was taking a helicopter
to Miraflores. The crowds went wild. The presidential guard
made a tunnel from the palace gates to a helicopter pad
across the street. The sound of choppers buzzing overhead.
"Then he was there, striding toward the palace, mobbed by
supporters. It was like a dream, it's still hard to believe
it really happened."
© The Irish Times * Reprinted for Fair Use Only
---------------------
Michael A. Lebowitz
Professor Emeritus
Economics Department
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Currently based in Cuba. Can be reached via:
Michael Lebowitz
c/o MEPLA
Calle 13 No. 504 ent. D y E, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
Codigo Postal 10 4000
(537) 33 30 75 or 832 21 54
telefax: (537) 33 30 75
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