2002 Venezuelan coup d'état

A military coup was staged in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on April 11, 2002 and lasted until April 14. It saw the intervention of the Armed Forces after increasing authoritarian rule, populist policies, decline of the economy and inpopularity. In 2002, Chavez approval rate polled around 30%, with increasing ties with Cuba, and aggressive military reforms that did not satisfy military commanders.

The chronological order of events started on April 10, when the National Trade Union, one of the largest unions that was about to be seized by the state authorities on June, began a general strike when the news that President Chavez was going to appoint personal friends and loyal politicians to key posts of the PDVSA, the national petroleum company. In the afternoon of April 10, one million protesters marched on the streets of Caracas towards the palace of the National Assembly, however the objective radically changed in a span of minutes; the crowd instead routed towards Miraflores Palace, the presidential residence. According to initial reports, Chavez immediately contacted military officers in special districts, and ordered them to activate Plan Avila, a "constitutional prerogative" installed in the 1999 constitution that the Head of State could have activated in case of dangerous public disorders, however the request was denied and Chavez detained in the evening of April 11.

The Coup
After the initial events, on the same day, a group of military officers, namely Vice Admiral Hector Ramirez Perez and other 9 generals grade officials, at 12:00 PM, organized a meeting with Chavez and demanded his resignation due to the popular uprising. Perez stated that if he did not resign, he would be "detained and trialed for his crimes against the Venezuelan people". At approximately 12:17, they left Miraflores Palace while battalions surrounded the area near the building. At 12:48, Chavez sent a FAX to the generals, stating that he would resign on four conditions, namely granted access to a car, access to the Cuban embassy and the possibility of his family coming with him. Perez perceived the conditions as a threat, as Chavez could've occupied a TV news tower to convince the protesters to go home. As a result, Perez ordered the 37th Marine Division and the 81st Infantry Regiment to implement a modified Plan Avila, without the clausole of repressing disorders and convinced the Special Presidential Battalion to detain Chavez and handle him to military authorities. At 13:12, Chavez was brought in an undisclosed location, while troops inside the capital dismantled the Bolivarian Circles, pro-government militias that were established by the President and did not have the time to react properly, and couldn't assemble to restore the old order.

Nextly, at approximately 14:30 PM, businessman and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Pedro Carmona entered in Miraflores Palace escorted by military personnel, and had a meeting with then so-called "Supreme Military Transitional Council". The 9 generals asked Carmona to assume the presidency until new elections could've been called, and he accepted to do so. At 18:30, Carmona was sworn in as President of Venezuela and effectively replaced Chavez. His inauguration was broadcasted live thanks to the fact that TV stations were under military control.

On 12 April, he enacted the so-called Carmona Decree which suspended the 1999 constitution, the National Assembly, Supreme Court and the Council of Ministers, effectively removing Diosdado Cabello from his Vice President role, who was detained with Chavez. Carmona appointed former president Rafael Caldera as Vice President, an experienced figure, considered by many as the father of Venezuelan Democracy. The new president appointed new liberal-oriented ministers without interference from the Supreme Military Council, which was vital for Carmona as a key defence for his administration.

On 13 and 14 April, military forces in the capital began Operation Car Wash after reports of pro-Chavez militias were concentrating in the slums to organize a massive attack towards Miraflores Palace and seize power. Majority of leaders were arrested and charged of treason and rebellion against state authorities. In the meanwhile, various opposition groups formed the Democratic Roundtable Alliance and declared civil support to Carmona administration. Many politicians from the DRA were appointed as ministers and deputy secretaries. In the span of two days, his government fired the previous pro-Chavez administrators in the state petroleum company, and restored the original leadership, which severed ties with Cuba and re-started oil supply production. On April 15, Carmona was named Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Supreme Military Council was re-named as the "Military Transitional Guard Council". Foreign news companies assumed that Perez held the real power until at least June 2002, when he was sent away by the administration to assume command of the Southern pluvial regions to counter the rising amount of FARC insurgents crossing the border.

The 2002 Venezuela Presidential Election represented the first free election since 1992.

US interference
The Bush administration perceived Venezuelan assistance to Cuba as a concrete threat to national security. In fact, Chavez ignored the embargo issued by the US. At the same time, domestic opposition in Venezuela became extremely worries about Bush remarks of "rogue states", assuming that an United States led military operation was about to be executed, the Venezuelan Military enacted the coup plan, and contacted the US at the same time for assistance. President Bush granted CIA to dispatch several advisors, training officers, personnel, ammunition and weaponry. As Chavez did not have the time to prepare his "Bolivarian Circles", he was caught off guard and did not have way to react through brute force.