Title: Hugo Chávez: The 60 Minutes Interview | A Look Back at a Controversial Leader
In 2002, “60 Minutes” sat down with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in a revealing interview that illuminated his tumultuous rise to power and the political challenges he faced. Conducted by veteran journalist Steve Kroft, the segment presented Chávez as a “larger than life figure,” one whose relationships with global leaders like Fidel Castro, Muammar Qaddafi, and Saddam Hussein often set him at odds with the United States.
The interview delved into the coup that temporarily ousted Chávez and his dramatic return to power, shedding light on the complexities of his presidency and the socio-political landscape of Venezuela. With candid insights and striking commentary, this feature paints a vivid picture of a leader who was both adored and reviled.
Just over a decade after the interview aired, Chávez passed away in 2013, leaving behind a polarized legacy that continues to influence Venezuelan politics today.
As part of its rich history, “60 Minutes” remains the most successful television broadcast ever, delivering hard-hitting reports and compelling human stories since 1968. Join us to explore this powerful interview and remember the impact of Hugo Chávez on the world stage.
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About 60 Minutes
“60 Minutes,” the most successful television broadcast in history. Offering hard-hitting investigative reports, interviews, feature segments and profiles of people in the news, the broadcast began in 1968 and is still a hit, over 50 seasons later, regularly making Nielsen’s Top 10.
Video “Hugo Chávez: The 60 Minutes interview | 60 Minutes Archive” was uploaded on 01/04/2026 to Youtube Channel 60 Minutes



































Communist and socialism are not a way of nations development it's capitalism and then distribution of the created wealth 😂😂😂😂
Someone started shooting !!!! We all know who
is this a starship troopers announcer talking?
So ugly. Destroyed millions of lives for his own greed.
I guess Hugo Chavez's fingers are crossin' in heaven
This is the Old CBS before the Ellison. 60 Minutes used to be an institution every Sunday night. Now, I can’t watch it anymore nor the Channel. Free Maduro
That guy was a total clown
The poor and uneducated always fall for the snake charmer…
he's a true hero for the global proletariat
Someone opened fire ? This is a news organization??? Watching this in 2026 after Wikileaks exposure of state security money laundering schemes, shows how the CIA produces 60 minutes segments. 60 minutes did not report how 80% poverty was eliminated. Only CIA talking points. We are ruled by criminals.
The ambasador is so cringe ..they put him in the documentary to talk rubbish .. i dont believe a word he said ..he just spewed pure propaganda .the same as the psychologist!! ..i know this documentary is old ..but everything they said back then ..they say it now about Maduro…and people still fall for it … Chavez said that he went to meet Gaddafi and Saddam to make trade deals and the americans didnt like it …the americans didn't like it cause he nationalized the oil industry and redistributed the money to the poor …
The U.S. government assassinated him as they did so many freedom fighters. Anyone who tries to help the poor are eliminated.
The U.S. has been planning on invading Venezuela for decades. Every country the U.S. has invaded or went to war with has been planned 20 to 30 years in advance.
Chavez himself told us in this interview what being a true Democrat really means:
Being a leftwing radical communist.
Democrat = Communist
The US sanctions have impoverished the people of Venezuela not Maduro
The media's propaganda for the ruling millionaire and billionaire neocons was so transparent even then. President Chavez called them out for their capitalist greed and lust for a US imperial world order. That's why they couldn't take it, so much so that they bombed his grave. Pigs. And Olavarría's disgust with the poor is so palpable. "Venezuela is divided," yeah, it was divided between oligarchs like him and the EIGHTY PERCENT of the poor who he thinks were too stupid to "make something of themselves," as though the previous regime that Chavez fought against wasn't keeping them poor while enriching themselves.
Que lastima
Chavez sounds sort of like someone currently in the White House. 😂
Which basically the CIA murdered
Jorge Olavarría is featured here. Sharp mind and excellent command of the English language.
Nice Timing, CBS News
King
Ambassador to Britain bro just say hes CIA lol
Hugo Chaviz was an anti Imperialist hero of his people. Simple. End American Imperialist madness. Set President Maduro FREE NOW you globalist psychopaths!
And his fate began when he decided to do what he thought was right and that's to exhume the remains of a liberator.
Would this program have shown the footage of a woman being killed (shot in the head) if she was of the opposing team?
I think most of us are tired of propaganda. We want real unbiased analysis. This is certainly not it.
It's always a good idea to revisit the past then you'll understand what's going on in the present
3:33– 3:45 he is describing trump to a T
US is the largest oil producer in the world. But we will one day run short n then out. So if we can export it cheap, even through exploitation of oil rich nations, then we'll still have some left when prices rocket (pun intended). That's why our government doesn't like socialism and nationalized resources. Because it's hard to get rich off other people's oil if it's not privatized by multinational corps.
"He has authoritarian and narcissistic tendencies" he said. So he's just like our president Chump!
😲 wow
And now chavez/maduro madness is now over after destroying the nation. Thanks to Trump.
He called out US on the Iraq war
How are you divided when 80% are in poverty ? The guy calls the poor ignorant
Love Chavez.
Chavez gave heating oil to poor neighborhoods in the us
They try to coup him and it backfired. Good vP
Hmmm, an autocratic leader who rarely sleeps and spends his days rambling endlessly on tv. Where have I heard that before?
The destroyer of the continent
Chavez never would've surrendered to Trump.
Watch The Revolution Will Not Be Televised to understand what happened in Venezuela in April 2002.
Grande Hugo Chavez!!
Hacia a la oligarquia venezolana y a los gringos que se les retorciera el estomago de rabia.
¡¡Viva Hugo Chavez!!
Calling this and "Interview" is completely dishonest. It's a propaganda piece. Embarrassing calling yourself journalists.
Bro got straight up vaporized after stealing his protégé safe to say he won’t be resting in peace more like in pieces
lol qué random keiko fujimori
Chavez You Was Betrayed By a Only One Helicopter
What did he say they supply as much oil to the Continent of North America as Saudi ArabiA an Night's. VENEZUELA IS A LONG FOOTBALL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT BODY OF WATER. FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE GULF OF MEXICO ,WHERE AMERICAN OIL RIGS WERE PUT ON EMERGENCY LAND DOCKS DURING THE APPERANCE OF HURRICANE KATRINA & JUST THINK THEY SAT ON THEIR SHORELINES WATCHING THAT ACT OF MOTHER NATURE OBLITERATE THE SOUTH EAST PORTION OF THIS COUNTRY & PRES CHAVEZ WAS LIKE , HEY NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH YOU GUYS NEED A FEW BARRELS TILL YOU GET YOURSELVES TOGETHER , AND I BELIEVE THE " STATE DEPARTMENT " SAID NO WERE GOOD….. GUESS THEY WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DEPARTMENT . IDK BUT HOW ARE THEY PULLING MORE OIL OUT THEN WE ARE …, ONLY WAY THEY COULD BE . ..EXPERIENCE …. IN THAT THAT'S THE SHAKING OF HIS HEAD , TISK TISK ..
.. SO LETS ROPELL IN AND KIDNAP THE NEW PRES DURING THE NIGHTLY NEWS WITH THE 1ST LADY …. AND NOT JUST CASUALLY SERVE AN INDICTMENT WHICH THE CLEARLY STATED THEY HAD. LOVE TO HEAR WHAT WAS STATED TO THAT GRAND JURY .. YOU KNOW THEIR ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT MADE A LIFELONG CAREER OUT OF POSITIONS THAT ARE PRETTY CLEARLY TERMED POSITION AS CIVIL SERVANTS TO THE OFFICE WHICH THEY OBTAIN A WINNING NUMBER OF VOTES TO SERVE.TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OBTAINED A NO HITTER , A SHUTOUT OVER THE COURSE OF 50 YEARS WAIT TILL YOU SEE THE NEXT POST … GONNA RECOMMEND A CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL AS A CANDIDATE UNANIMOUSLY
24 years later we can see the mask came completely off and the real corruption of this socialist government, Nicolas Maduro his appointee to continue his “revolution “ is awaiting trial in New York facing narco traffic charges.
You know what’s ridiculous? When you look for YT videos, the date that is always given is the date that the video was uploaded! Who cares when the video was uploaded!!! The date that’s important is the date the video was made, recorded.