Continuing our slog through the end of August, I have just published a book review of The Silence and the Scorpion by Brian Nelson over on Huffington Post, which makes a pretty good case that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez should be standing trial for having ordered his militias to fire upon unarmed crowds of protesters in the April 11th, 2002 events.

But why should an event that happened seven years ago continue to be so important today?  As Nelson explained to me in an extensive interview via email (the full transcript of which is posted here on my blog), how we understand the 2002 coup is seen as the ultimate proof or disproof of the regime’s credibility.

“If you believe that the opposition initiated the violence; that they placed gunmen at the head of the march and wanted to cause deaths to spark a coup, then Hugo Chávez is a victim,” wrote Nelson in his email to me.  “But if you believe that the Chávez government initiated the violence; that the National Guard troops and loyalists opened fire on the march to keep it from surrounding the palace, then Hugo Chávez is not the victim, he is the aggressor.  (…) If this is what you believe, then Hugo Chávez has lost his legitimacy and he should, at the very least, be placed on trial.”