In April 2002, a Venezuelan coup ousted Hugo Chávez for just forty-seven hours.
In short: Hugo Chávez was removed from office in 2002 after a massive protest turned deadly, but his exile lasted less than two days. Driven by military dissent and a polarized nation, the uprising collapsed when loyalist forces reclaimed the presidential palace, illustrating the volatile intersection of oil, politics, and military power.
By early 2002, Hugo Chávez faced a country fractured by his aggressive governance and controversial alliances with figures like Fidel Castro. His approval ratings plummeted to roughly 30% as business leaders, the Catholic Church, and the media grew alarmed by his use of emergency powers to bypass the National Assembly. Tensions reached a breaking point when Chávez fired the board of the state oil company, PDVSA, on live television using a referee whistle to mock the executives.
The firing triggered a general strike and a massive opposition march on April 11, 2002, which culminated in a violent shootout near the Miraflores Palace that left 19 people dead. When Chávez attempted to invoke Plan Ávila—a military mobilization strategy that risked mass casualties—the high command refused his orders and demanded his resignation. Chávez was arrested, and Pedro Carmona, head of the business federation Fedecámaras, was installed as interim president.
Carmona’s rule was short-lived and chaotic. He dissolved the Supreme Court and the National Assembly, effectively voiding the 1999 Constitution. These radical reversals alienated key sectors of the military and the public, leading to a rapid collapse of his administration. By April 13, Chávez’s loyal Presidential Guard had regained control of the palace without a single shot being fired, and the ousted president was returned to power. Chávez later admitted that he had intentionally provoked the crisis with PDVSA to force a confrontation.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2002 Venezuelan coup attempt
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