El Comandante is a story inspired by the life of
Hugo Chávez, a man of humble origin who, at only 44 years old and against all odds, became the most powerful and controversial
Latin American leader of his time. During his rule he controlled at will the largest oil reserves on the planet, challenged the First World and managed to shake the continent as nobody else.
The production narrates the fictional story of a man and a country, inspired by real events, incorporating elements and characters of fiction as his comrades fighting, the spies who wanted to kill him, the women who accompanied him in his career and the members of the opposition, to offer an account of suspense and action, of politics and romance.
The production is based on an original idea by the Venezuelan writer and columnist Moisés Naím and the direction is by Felipe Cano (Lady, la vendedora de rosas, El laberinto de Alicia) and Henry Rivero (film En coma).[14] The librettos are by José Luis González, Juan Andrés Granados and Versalia Cordero.[14] The series is produced by Andrea Marulanda and Luis Eduardo Jiménez as executive producers,[15] series production is scheduled for the summer of 2016.[15]
The first advance of the series was revealed on October 25, 2016, showing scenes that marked the life of the
Venezuelan president, such as episodes of his childhood in
Sabaneta, Barinas state, until the coup attempt he led in 1992.[6]
In May 2016,
Diosdado Cabello was completely opposed to the production of the series, because he would only lend to defaming the former president of Venezuela, thus asking the executives of
Sony Pictures Television to stop the production process and show evidence that the Chavez family agreed with such a series.[21][22] Later,
Sony Pictures Television clarified that Asdrúbal Chávez had authorized the production of the series.[22] Actress
Gabriela Vergara received several negative comments towards her character in the series, because
Marisabel Rodríguez de Chávez is accused of complicity and robbery during the Chávez government.[23][24]
In October 2016,
Cabello warned to take legal action against the production company
Sony Pictures Television to continue with the production of the series.[25][unreliable source]
Screenwriter
Moisés Naím clarified that the series is a series of fiction and not a biography so it will have nothing to do with the reality of
Venezuela.[26]
In Venezuela, CONATEL, an institution that regulates airing and broadcasting in the country, ordered to withdraw the signal from RCN Television to prohibit the viewing of the series.[27]