print:Hollywood actor recommends Chávez’s policies on CNN-Spain <b>(UPDATED)</b>

Ana Pastor interviewing Antonio Banderas on CNN/Spain

Spanish Hollywood actor, Antonio Banderas, took many people by surprise during an interview on CNN en español when he recommended that the world follow the economic policies of the late President Hugo Chávez.

Banderas’ declarations came about during the interview with Ana Pastor of CNN en español (fired by TV Spain International some time ago) in her program “Face to Face” when talking about the current economic crisis and the possible solutions. Banderas stated:

“You get the sensation that perhaps we are not being governed by the people we voted for,” stated Banderas. “The markets, the lobbies, corporation---there’s a lot of pull there and people who don’t have to show their face to take responsibility for things that happen afterwards in the governments or in countries.”

The interviewer asked Banderas about those responsible for the crisis and the relationship with the corporations that move the markets and governments’ complicit in this. Pastor asked: “How can you get out of this inertia? How can you overcome it? Banderas answered emphatically,

“You can break this cycle as Chávez broke it in his moment. Huh, you say that this is finished and now I am going to get hold of all these corporations and nationalize them! Of course! But is it that there is another way out of this? And in a time when we have to ask ourselves that we are perhaps living in a post-democratic era.”

Banderas also criticized US President Barack Obama saying that he had let down the US public and had not kept the promises in his two electoral campaigns after succumbing to pressure.

“You listen to Obama when he was campaigning for his first and even his second term and people were saying: 'Things are going to change.' Not so because he was going to clash with reality, with the reality of what they are going to tell him. “This, sir, you cannot do!”

Writing for Spain's newspaper, The Local (English), Alex Dunham also called attention to CNN's interview with Bandera:

"Spanish actor Antonio Banderas surprised CNN viewers when he criticized US President Barack Obama and suggested Europe and the US should apply the same economic policies as Venezuela’s late president Hugo Chávez.

"During his talk with Spanish journalist Ana Pastor, Banderas was asked several questions about the current financial crisis and possible solutions to it.

"The Malaga-born star pointed the finger of blame at “the markets, the lobbies, the big corporations” and suggested they didn’t have to take responsibility when countries and governments had problems.

'We’re not being governed by the people we voted for,' he told Pastor.

'How do you put a stop to that?' she asked.

'You break it like Chávez did in his day, you get all these big corporations and you nationalize them,' answered Banderas in the midst of a deafening silence.

“ 'There was no other way out,' he added.

"The Hollywood actor also criticized the US’s President Obama for not fullfilling his promises during his two terms in office and succumbing to the pressure of big business and financial markets."