Nelson, Brian A (2009). The Silence and the Scorpion: The Coup Against Chavez and the Making of Modern Venezuela. Nation Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group. ISBN 978-1568584188.
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Reviews edit
- Editorial reviews at Amazon.com
- Scholarly review says the author "succeeds admirably in presenting a gripping narrative, but his low standards in investigative reporting make the book extremely one-sided and unreliable." The author, Judith Ewell, is a professor of history and has published multiple books on Venezuela through university presses.
- Foreign Affairs review – short and superficial, but quite positive.
- Review in The Economist – positive, last paragraph ends "His arrest is part of a wider crackdown on the opposition, intensifying Mr Chavez's hollowing-out of Venezuelan democracy. This makes Mr Nelson's scrupulously unbiased account of the events of April 2002 all the more important. It should be read by all those who continue to believe that Mr Chavez is a worthy champion of democracy and the oppressed."
Nelson edit
- Published in:
- Subject of a PEW Case Study for Georgetown University
- Teaches for Johns Hopkins University
Book jacket edit
- close to a million people
- broad cross-section of society furious with Chavez's mishandling of the economy and his interference with Venezuela's oil industry
- bloody gun battle ... sparked a military revolt and the ousting of Chavez
- Drawing upon unprecedented access to government ministers, diplomats and military leaders
- A small group of wealthy businessman take advantage of the tensions between Chavez and the military , and steal the presidency.
Characters, pp. xiii–xv edit
- Opposition marchers
- Malvina Pestate, 46, architect, one of first shot
- Mohamad "Mike" Merchi, Lebanese immigrant, lost track of his son, Jesus, in chaos
- Carlos Ciordia, attorney, brought sister and parents to march
- Andres Trujillo, 28, graphic designer, shot
- Chavez loyalists
- Douglas Romero, 38, teacher, helped Bolivarian Circles repel marchers and police
- Alberto Espidel, MD, gave first aid to Chavez supporters
- Antonio Navas, former secret police, shot
- Journalists
- Luis Alfonso Fernandez, only reporter with camera crew near palace before march arrived
- Francisco Toro, journalist who ventured out during April 13 blackout
- Gabriel Osorio, photographer for "anti-Chavez newspaper, El Nacional", broke the blackout, tried to sneak into Miraflores
- Politicians
- General Francisco Uson, finance minister
- Pedro Carmona, would become interim president
- Guillermo Garcia Ponce, "hard-line communist and veteran of the guerrilla wars of the 1960s", led civilian efforts to restore Chavez
- Luis Miquilena, "veteran communist who ... engineered Chavez's election vitory in 1998 but would denounce Chavez on national television for causing the bloodshed on April 11"
- Generals
- Lucas Rincon, armed forces inspector general, announced Chavez resignation on TV
- Manuel Rosendo, Supreme commander of Venezuela's armed forces, refused the "president's orders to use the army against the march"
- Jorge Carneiro, defied other generals, tried to send tanks to help Chavez
- Efrain Vasquez Velasco, Head of army, most powerful man in the country after dust cleared
- Raul Baduel, devout Taoist and founding member of MBR-200, led rescue mission