“El Golpe de Timón” - was Hugo Chávez’s address to his cabinet of ministers on October 20th, 2012, shortly after his resounding reelection on October 7, 2012.

The speech, translated into English as “Strike at the Helm”, is considered his political testament, broadcast live over-the-air, it was his last major political address to his government and the Venezuelan people.

Today, as we commemorate the 10 year anniversary of his death on March 5, 2013, there is no better instrument to understand and appreciate the legacy of Chávez than this speech.

On today’s program we’re looking at the legacy of Hugo Chávez, 10 years removed from his death. To understand his impact on Venezuela, we have to go back in time, to Venezuela before Chávez. What were the conditions in the country that opened the door for a figure like Chávez? What was it about him that allowed him to tap into that discontent? What was it about his connection with the people that made him such a powerful leader?

To answer these questions and more, we will speak with Venezuelan activist, sociologist, and former government minister Reinaldo Iturriza López.

Host José Luis Granados Ceja also speaks with Venezueanalysis’ Cira Pascual Marquina about Chávez’s own political development from advocate for “third way” politics to one of the fiercest critics of capitalism, as well as his contributions to the development of socialist thought. 

Music:

Embandolaos - Los Caimanes Negros

El Combo Mas Na - Se Multiplicó