Jonathan Jakubowicz says he wanted to write a book Venezuelans couldn't resist

Summary

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NPR’s Book of the Day

Episode: Jonathan Jakubowicz says he wanted to write a book Venezuelans couldn't resist

Date: July 13, 2026
Host: Scott Detrow
Guest: Jonathan Jakubowicz, Venezuelan author and filmmaker

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Episode Overview

This episode features Venezuelan author and filmmaker Jonathan Jakubowicz, discussing his novel, The Adventures of Juan Planchard, which has recently been released in English for the first time. The conversation explores the book’s portrayal of corruption and survival in Venezuela during and after the Hugo Chavez regime, its resonance with both Venezuelan and international readers, and Jakubowicz’s intentions behind writing a novel Venezuelans “couldn’t resist.” The episode also touches on recent dramatic events in Venezuela and the broader rise of global populism.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing Juan Planchard: An Unlikely Antihero

• The novel centers on Juan Planchard, a “deeply flawed antihero” who transitions from middle-class respectability to involvement in government corruption for personal gain.
  • Jakubowicz: "This guy used to be a middle class guy...He eventually realized that he wanted to make a lot of money. He had to get in business with the government." (01:29)
• The narrative is a fictionalized yet realistic depiction of the widespread corruption that defined Venezuela under Hugo Chavez.

2. Venezuela: Revolution vs. Reality

• Jakubowicz stresses that while the Chavez regime touted a socialist revolution, in reality, it was "a heist."
  • Jakubowicz: "People thought that we had a socialist revolution in the name of equality and social justice...What was really going on is basically a heist where all the government officials were robbing the nation blind." (01:50, 02:04)
• The book aims to open readers' eyes to what was actually happening, contradicting the government’s claims of social progress.

3. Making the Book ‘Irresistible’

• Motivation: Jakubowicz started writing after being exiled due to government trouble following his first film. Unable to make movies, he turned to literature as a way to reach fellow Venezuelans, a population not known for being avid readers.
  • Jakubowicz: "I was exiled, and so I wanted to communicate with my countrymen...I said, I'm going to write a book that is so fun and so filled with sex and violence that even Venezuelans cannot resist." (03:34)
• The book is intentionally packed with action, intrigue, and taboo to draw in readers before confronting them with harsh political and social truths.
  • "You get the politics after all the fun you had." (03:34)

4. Political Parallels and Populism

• Jakubowicz connects the phenomenon of populist leaders relying on loyalty, not ideology or moral principles, to modern global politics.
  • Quoting the book: Juan says, “my country elected a man who believes in nothing but loyalty. He doesn't care what you do as long as you don’t cross him...Who am I to tell people they're wrong for believing in a man who makes them feel seen?” (04:29)
• Jakubowicz reflects on how Chavez was a precursor to such leaders—“the first social media president”—and draws parallels to Trump-era U.S. politics and the broader global trend.
  • Jakubowicz: "A lot of the populism you’re seeing...we Venezuelans see it as so familiar. Chavez was sort of the first social media president as well." (05:01)
  • "When morals are put aside...the only thing that matters is that you support the leader. There is a breakdown in society, and then suddenly anything goes." (05:01)

5. Human Complexity Within Corrupted Systems

• The protagonist, Juan, is depicted as morally ambiguous—“a good person doing bad things.”
  • Jakubowicz: "He shows you that any person in his circumstances may take that turn. I think humans are flawed, and he is certainly flawed, but I don’t think it comes from evil. He is simply put in a situation where he finds a fork in the road and he takes the wrong side." (06:23)

6. Response to Venezuela's Recent Political Upheaval

• The conversation addresses the recent covert US operation to oust Maduro—with results leaving the regime largely intact. Jakubowicz hints at upcoming storylines in future books.
  • Jakubowicz: "I don’t want to spoil the rest of the franchise because this is a trilogy...he’s very involved into that operation in book three." (07:09)
• He notes the ‘surreal’ changes—a regime that still holds power but is now permitting American activity, and how the core ideals that justified the revolution are now “killed.”
  • "They didn’t kill people, but they killed the idea of the revolution." (07:09)

7. Signs of Hope and Caution

• Jakubowicz expresses cautious optimism: political prisoners have been released, and the regime’s anti-imperialist narrative is shaken.
  • Jakubowicz: "The notion that this is an anti imperial revolution is no longer valid...More than 600 political prisoners were freed." (08:08)
• He warns, however, that democracy is not guaranteed and urges Venezuelans to remain vigilant and proactive for lasting change.
  • "But I feel like Venezuelans are not going to take that. If they have to take to the streets, they will. So I am optimistic. But...I'm not waiting with my arms crossed." (08:08)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On populist leaders:
  "When morals are put aside where ideology doesn’t matter, the only thing that matters is that you support the leader. There is a breakdown in society, and then suddenly anything goes."
  — Jonathan Jakubowicz [05:01]

• On why the book works:
  "You get the politics after all the fun you had, you know, and I truly believe that's the best way to get to move someone."
  — Jonathan Jakubowicz [03:34]

• On the reality behind the revolution:
  "What was really going on is basically a heist where all the government officials were robbing the nation blind."
  — Jonathan Jakubowicz [02:04]

• On Venezuelan resilience:
  "I am optimistic. But at the same time, I'm not waiting with my arms crossed, trying to do my best for Venezuelans...to truly make the change that we have been fighting for for almost three decades."
  — Jonathan Jakubowicz [08:08]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction to context in Venezuela and the book: [00:02–01:24]
• Jakubowicz describes the antihero and the state under Chavez: [01:24–02:23]
• Rationale for writing the book and making it irresistible: [03:34–04:29]
• On the allure and danger of populism—Venezuela and global parallels: [04:29–06:18]
• Protagonist’s morality and relevance to everyman: [06:18–06:52]
• Discussion of recent US operation and shifts in Venezuela: [06:52–08:08]
• Hope, change, and the future of Venezuelan democracy: [08:08–09:06]

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Conclusion

In this episode, Jonathan Jakubowicz offers a candid and personal exploration of Venezuela’s recent history, the literary strategies he used to reach his compatriots, and the ongoing struggle for true democracy. Mixing thrilling narrative elements with biting political critique, his work and this interview paint a vivid portrait of a country grappling with corruption and the allure of strongman rule—while holding out hope for lasting change.

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Transcript

[Alyssa Nadworny]

Hello, I'm Alyssa Nadworny and you are listening to NPR's Book of the Day. There's been a lot of news coming from Venezuela this year. The US Launched a special operation to exfiltrate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, essentially toppling a foreign government and forcing regime change in a place already facing very challenging economic times. Then this summer, back to back earthquakes there took a major toll, with the number of deaths reaching into the thousands. A new translation of a blockbuster bestseller written by Venezuelan author and filmmaker Jonathan Jakubovic offers a fictional look at life in that country. It's called the Adventures of Juan Planchard, and it tells the story of corruption and redemption through its main character. Jacobovich talked with All THINGS CONSIDERED host Scott Detrow.

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[Scott Detrow]

The book the Adventures of Juan Planchard centers on an antihero, a deeply flawed one.

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

This guy used to be a middle class guy who was from a good family who was, you know, working decent jobs for a while. But he eventually realized that he wanted to make a lot of money. He had to get in business with the government.

[Scott Detrow]

That's Venezuelan author and filmmaker Jonathan Jakubovic. He wrote the book to show what life was like under the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

People thought that we had a socialist revolution in the name of equality and social justice and a government that was, you know, spreading the wealth for the poor.

[Scott Detrow]

But Jacobovich says that didn't happen.

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

What was really going on is basically a heist where all the government officials were robbing the nation blind. And the reason I wrote it was basically to open the eyes of those who didn't realize that this was not what was being claimed to be, that this was actually an assault of a nation.

[Scott Detrow]

It's under those circumstances that we meet Juan Planchard. The book follows him as he makes big business deals, starts a flashy romance and and plays riskier games with the government. It's a fictionalized account of what the author says is very real corruption in Venezuela.

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

He's basically uncovering Everything in front of your eyes, how they work, how they made money, and all the little secrets that they used in order to sustain the propaganda for so long, while at the same time enriching themselves.

[Scott Detrow]

The book came out in 2016. It became a big hit in Venezuela, but pretty soon ruffled the feathers of the regime which was by then led by Nicolas Maduro. And so people turned to reading it underground. It's now available in English for the first time. I spoke with Jakubovich about the book, which sometimes reads like a summer blockbuster. How did you strike the balance? Because like you said, you wanted to make a point here. You wanted the realities to sink in, but you kind of dress those realities up with really over the top scenes right out of a blockbuster. We've got jet setting, we've got rich people, we've got chase scenes, we've got sex scenes. And at the same time, there's a deep reality that clearly struck a nerve where with Venezuelan readers.

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

Well, the reason I decided to write a book is because I couldn't make a movie in Venezuela because I got in trouble with the government because of my first movie. So I was exiled, and so I wanted to communicate with my countrymen and literature seemed like the only possible path. The challenge was that Venezuelans are not big readers. So I said, I'm going to write a book that is so fun and so filled with sex and violence that even Venezuelans can, cannot resist. You get the politics after all the fun you had, you know, and I truly believe that's the best way to get to move someone. You know, there's a connection with the character in which you understand the reasoning of a criminal, that I think it's essential to understand the politics, because you don't. It all sounds like too crazy to be true until you understand the reasoning.

[Scott Detrow]

In addition to all of those storytelling methods, there are some deep, real points here. And there's a line that stuck with me since I read it. It's in the first couple pages of the book. But it's a quote from Juan where he says, my country elected a man who believes in nothing but loyalty. He doesn't care what you do as long as you don't cross him. So why fight him? Who am I to tell people they're wrong for believing in a man who makes them feel seen? He's talking about Chavez there. But it could apply to Maduro, and I think a lot of people would say that could apply in the US To President Donald Trump.

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

Yeah, I mean, a lot of the populism you're seeing not only in the United States, but in a lot of Europe. You know, we Venezuelans see it as so familiar. You know, Chavez was sort of the first social media president as well. He was tweeting, governing by tweets, you know, and saying all the radical stuff and taking all the attention from everything, and that the fact that loyalty was the only important thing, when morals are put aside where ideology doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is that you support the leader. There is a breakdown in society, and then suddenly anything goes. And I think it's a very dangerous path to take. It is a path that I would have never imagined the United States could. Could go through. It's obviously very different because Trump is pro business, and it's a completely different approach in that sense. But the notion of a populist whose only value is his political benefit is something that feels very familiar to any Venezuelan who lives in the US or in Europe right now.

[Scott Detrow]

Do you like the person Juan Planchard? Do you think he's a good person?

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

I think he's a good person doing bad things. What is fascinating about him is that he shows you that any person in his circumstances may take that turn. And I think humans are flawed, and he is certainly flawed, but I don't think it comes from evil. I think he is simply put in a situation where he finds a fork in the road and he takes the wrong side.

[Scott Detrow]

What do you think he would have made of the, to many people, cynical military operation that happened earlier this year of removing Maduro, but by and large, leaving the Maduro regime in place without further changes?

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

Well, I don't want to spoil the rest of the franchise because this is a trilogy of books, but he's very involved into that operation in book three. Okay. You know, I think for Venezuelans, it's been a fascinating situation because we certainly feel that an intervention was necessary. Right now, we have a surreal situation where, in a way, like you said, part of the regime or the rest of the regime is still in place, but this is a regime that is now allowing American planes to fly freely in Caracas. So, in a way, you know, as you've heard many times in the wars in the Middle east, people saying, you can kill people, but you cannot kill an idea. I feel like in Venezuela, they didn't kill people, but they killed the idea of the revolution.

[Scott Detrow]

So have you seen and felt a difference?

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

Yeah, I mean, the notion that this is an anti imperial revolution that is facing the American empire is no longer valid. I have friends who were liberated from prison. In the last few months, more than 600 political prisoners were freed. So there's real changes happening on the ground. It's going slower than we want and you know, there is a danger that it stays without it becoming a democracy. But I feel like Venezuelans are not going to take that. Venezuelans, if they have to take to the streets, they will. So I am optimistic. But at the same time, I'm not waiting with my arms crossed, trying to do my best for Venezuelans to be strategic and seize this unique historic opportunity to truly make the change that we have been fighting for for almost three decades.

[Scott Detrow]

That's Jonathan Jakubovich, the author of the Adventures of Juan Planchard. Thank you so much.

[Jonathan Jakubovich]

Thank you. Thank you guys.

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