Film outline: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Outline:
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
By Kim Bartley and Donnacha O Briain
Copyright 2002
This outline created by Brian Jacobs
Note: In outlines, I try to just convey what the author said and minimize my personal bias, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with what they say.
Outline of the film “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”.
The film depicts the failed 2002 Coup D’état in Venezuela. It has a lot of real footage from the coup because the film crew was there for a documentary on Hugo Chavez and happened to still be there when the coup occurred.
Was available here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144#
Availability last verified March 2010.
Also see http://venezuelasolidarity.org.uk
11abril.com is an opposition website
This is a separate, opposition, video saying that “The Revolution will not be televised” is lying, and that the film makers were not impartial. Availability of this video last verified March 2010
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144#docid=-3378761249364089950
At the end of “Revolution”, the url www.chavezthefilm.com is given, but as of March 2010 the site was down.
The film depicts the failed 2002 Coup D’état in Venezuela.
Coup leaders
Pedro Carmona – head of a business association.
Carlos Ortega – head of a trade union, with ties to the old political system pre-Chavez.
The military high command
Apparently there were 5 privately owned TV channels total in the country, plus the one state owned channel (mentioned 15 minutes into the film). I gather that while these were the only local stations, it seems that people were able to get CNN. Apparently CNN just wouldn’t normally carry news on Venezuela. The state of radio stations isn’t mentioned, they aren’t described as having played any role in these events.
Timeline
7 months before coup – film crew of this movies arrives, to make a documentary on Hugo Chavez, and they just happened to still be there when the coup occurred. The film was released September 2003 (nearly a year and a half after the coup)
April 10, 2002 (Wednesday)
The CIA Director (George Tenent?) expressed concern about Chavez taking control of the oil company. One of the generals went on air on all private channels saying that Chavez caused turmoil by trying to control the state oil company and should resign. When reporters asked if he meant a coup, the general did not deny it, did not answer. But he did seem to smile.
The private TV stations broadcast a call for a public march the next day to the oil company headquarters.
April 11, 2002 (Thursday) – day of coup
There was a gathering of Chavez supporters at the palace. There was an opposition gathering at the headquarters of the oil company. The opposition leaders called on the crowd to march on the palace. They wanted a riot between the two crowds; they wanted to ratchet up the chaos factor.
When the opposing crowd started towards the palace, the mayor of Caracas went on state TV accusing opposition leader Carlos Ortega of wanting a confrontation.
Sometime after 2pm, as the opposition marchers approached the palace, shots were fired and some of the opposition marchers were hit. The private media manipulated footage to make it appear that Chavez supporters were attacking the opposition marchers. Longer footage showed that Chavez supporters were not firing at the marchers.
3pm – Footage of a Chavez official at the palace on the phone trying to verify a rumor of commando’s taking over the state TV station, channel 8.
Carmona calls for Chavez’s resignation on the TV.
The oil company exec calls for army personnel to “make the right decision”.
All officers of the military high command go on TV to announce they no longer supported Chavez.
9:20pm – Chavez minister starts to broadcast on channel 8 (state tv) to tell people of the coup
9:30pm – Minister’s signal cut for channel 8
Sometime after 9:30pm – film talks about palace surrounded by tanks
10pm – Footage of High Command arriving at palace to demand resignation.
3:30am – Chavez surrenders to avoid shelling of palace
April 12 (Friday)
4:51am – Carmona on TV announces that Chavez was no longer president and will be kept in army custody. It isn’t clear whether Carmona claimed that Chavez had resigned. He also announced that a transitional government will be formed. So not only will the Vice President not assume the presidency, the whole government was dissolved. No wonder people were mad.
6am – the private TV channels broadcast an interview (with who?) about the planning of the coup. They come off as bragging.
Throughout the day, police suppressed any Chavez supporters. At least one man is shown lying prone and bloody, possibly dead.
5:30pm – Carmona sworn in as President. The new Attorney General announces the dissolution of the National Assembly (legislative body), the Supreme Court, the head of the National Bank, and the Electoral Board. No wonder the public was mad. The coup plotters moved very quickly towards a dictatorship.
Evening – protestors in the streets
April 13 (Saturday)
1pm – protestors at the palace gates. The palace guard were emboldened by the protestors and decided to retake the palace. This was completed around ??
Shortly after, Chavez’s ministers returned and held a cabinet meeting.
Private media refused to report that Chavez supporters had retaken the palace. Carmona on CCN by voice only saying that everything was normal.
4pm – Chavez ministers talk of finding the Vice President, to swear in as President in the absence of Chavez. Footage of Chavez minister on phone trying to convince a general not to send troops, that the crowds of Chavez supporters was too large to suppress (he claimed a million). The general does not.
Channel 8 on the air again under control of Chavez supporters, ministers broadcast that Chavez hadn’t resigned, it was a coup. Outlying garrisons called in to the palace that they were loyal. Vice president arrives at palace, sworn in on air as temporary president.
Night time – Temporary president orders 3 units of commandos to rescue Chavez from a remote military base where he was being held. Lower military commanders who were not part of the coup go on state TV supporting Chavez.
Night time – Chavez returns via helicopter.
April 14 (Sunday)
Chavez addresses people at the palace (not sure if this was broadcast live, or just recorded for later).
Certainly not every member of the military supported the coup. Military personnel were told that Chavez had resigned. The idea apparently was that the coup leaders would be firmly in control by the time that rank and file soldiers figured out that they had been lied to.
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” was really fascinating, showing the mechanics of how a coup succeeds or fails. It showed the struggle for control of the media, control of the military, control of the public.
Outline and review of the film “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”.
The film depicts the failed 2002 Coup D’état in Venezuela. It has a lot of real footage from the coup because the film crew was there for a documentary on Hugo Chavez and happened to still be there when the coup occurred.
Was available here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144#
Availability last verified March 2010.
Also see http://venezuelasolidarity.org.uk
11abril.com is an opposition website
This is a separate, opposition, video saying that “The Revolution will not be televised” is lying, and that the film makers were not impartial. Availability of this video last verified March 2010
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144#docid=-3378761249364089950
At the end of “Revolution”, the url www.chavezthefilm.com is given, but as of March 2010 the site was down.
The film depicts the failed 2002 Coup D’état in Venezuela.
Coup leaders
Pedro Carmona – head of a business association.
Carlos Ortega – head of a trade union, with ties to the old political system pre-Chavez.
The military high command
Apparently there were 5 privately owned TV channels total in the country, plus the one state owned channel (mentioned 15 minutes into the film). I gather that while these were the only local stations, it seems that people were able to get CNN. Apparently CNN just wouldn’t normally carry news on Venezuela. The state of radio stations isn’t mentioned, they aren’t described as having played any role in these events.
Timeline
7 months before coup – film crew of this movies arrives, to make a documentary on Hugo Chavez, and they just happened to still be there when the coup occurred. The film was released September 2003 (nearly a year and a half after the coup)
April 10, 2002 (Wednesday)
The CIA Director (George Tenent?) expressed concern about Chavez taking control of the oil company. One of the generals went on air on all private channels saying that Chavez caused turmoil by trying to control the state oil company and should resign. When reporters asked if he meant a coup, the general did not deny it, did not answer. But he did seem to smile.
The private TV stations broadcast a call for a public march the next day to the oil company headquarters.
April 11, 2002 (Thursday) – day of coup
There was a gathering of Chavez supporters at the palace. There was an opposition gathering at the headquarters of the oil company. The opposition leaders called on the crowd to march on the palace. They wanted a riot between the two crowds; they wanted to ratchet up the chaos factor.
When the opposing crowd started towards the palace, the mayor of Caracas went on state TV accusing opposition leader Carlos Ortega of wanting a confrontation.
Sometime after 2pm, as the opposition marchers approached the palace, shots were fired and some of the opposition marchers were hit. The private media manipulated footage to make it appear that Chavez supporters were attacking the opposition marchers. Longer footage showed that Chavez supporters were not firing at the marchers.
3pm – Footage of a Chavez official at the palace on the phone trying to verify a rumor of commando’s taking over the state TV station, channel 8.
Carmona calls for Chavez’s resignation on the TV.
The oil company exec calls for army personnel to “make the right decision”.
All officers of the military high command go on TV to announce they no longer supported Chavez.
9:20pm – Chavez minister starts to broadcast on channel 8 (state tv) to tell peopleof the coup
9:30pm – Minister’s signal cut for channel 8
Sometime after 9:30pm – film talks about palace surrounded by tanks
10pm – Footage of High Command arriving at palace to demand resignation.
3:30am – Chavez surrenders to avoid shelling of palace
April 12 (Friday)
4:51am – Carmona on TV announces that Chavez was no longer president and will be kept in army custody. It isn’t clear whether Carmona claimed that Chavez had resigned. He also announced that a transitional government will be formed. So not only will the Vice President not assume the presidency, the whole government was dissolved. No wonder people were mad.
6am – the private TV channels broadcast an interview (with who?) about the planning of the coup. They come off as bragging.
Throughout the day, police suppressed any Chavez supporters. At least one man is shown lying prone and bloody, possibly dead.
5:30pm – Carmona sworn in as President. The new Attorney General announces the dissolution of the National Assembly (legislative body), the Supreme Court, the head of the National Bank, and the Electoral Board. No wonder the public was mad. The coup plotters moved very quickly towards a dictatorship.
Evening – protestors in the streets
April 13 (Saturday)
1pm – protestors at the palace gates. The palace guard were emboldened by the protestors and decided to retake the palace. This was completed around ??
Shortly after, Chavez’s ministers returned and held a cabinet meeting.
Private media refused to report that Chavez supporters had retaken the palace. Carmona on CCN by voice only saying that everything was normal.
4pm – Chavez ministers talk of finding the Vice President, to swear in as President in the absence of Chavez. Footage of Chavez minister on phone trying to convince a general not to send troops, that the crowds of Chavez supporters was too large to suppress (he claimed a million). The general does not.
Channel 8 on the air again under control of Chavez supporters, ministers broadcast that Chavez hadn’t resigned, it was a coup. Outlying garrisons called in to the palace that they were loyal. Vice president arrives at palace, sworn in on air as temporary president.
Night time – Temporary president orders 3 units of commandos to rescue Chavez from a remote military base where he was being held. Lower military commanders who were not part of the coup go on state TV supporting Chavez.
Night time – Chavez returns via helicopter.
April 14 (Sunday)
Chavez addresses people at the palace (not sure if this was broadcast live, or just recorded for later).
Certainly not every member of the military supported the coup. Military personnel were told that Chavez had resigned. The idea apparently was that the coup leaders would be firmly in control by the time that rank and file soldiers figured out that they had been lied to.
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” was really fascinating, showing the mechanics of how a coup succeeds or fails. It showed the struggle for control of the media, control of the military, control of the public.