After the electoral victories of Chavez in 1998 and 2000, besides the victory at changing the constitution in 1999. Chavez had initially allied himself with traditional socdems and liberals in the congress, he didn’t have the majority. But he worked to isolate the opposition in congress. Chavez basically promises he will be a Social Democrat, he keeps his talks with IMF and even visits Wall Streets and seem to calm down the Americans investors there.

After the 1999 and 2000 elections he gained the majority in congress, which secured his goverment from any attempt of deadlock. The price of oil had also risen, which meant the goverment also had economical stability. With this, and his popular support meant that it was time for Chavez to act. He begun live on Venezuelan TV (Chavez had his own TV Show, and you could call him live on TV and state your problem and he would try to help you or give advice) to kick out the Americans and Venezuelan comprador from the positions inside the privatly owned Oil Companies.

That made the Pro-US Trade Unions, Venezuelan Elite, Reactionary Generals and Gusanos begun organazing a coup with aid and help from the USA. In 2002 massive protests begin, and they quickly turns into riots, and it turns violent. Chavez gets a call from Fidel informing that the US had been planning a coup. Fidel first tries to convinces Chavez to escape to Cuba, where he could live to fight another day, Chavez wanted to fight the Pro-US military forces. Then Chavez agree to surrender to the Military, but not before refusing to sign any document, specially any resignition notes, an advice Fidel Castro gave him.

The Western Media quickly supported the coup, from EL País to WSJ, to their biggest supporter, CNN Spanish.

The US and Venezuelan elite, chooses Pedro Carmona as their new “president”. Carmona dissolves the congress, supreme court and constitution, and becomes basically the dictator of a Military-Civic Dictatorship. Carmona orders the arrest of people like Nicolas Maduro, Cilia Flores (Future wife of Maduro) and Tareck William Saab. A Group of Cuban Gusanos, led by the Venezuela opposition neoliberal, Henrique Capriles, attempted to invade the Cuban embassy, in an attempt to kill any Chavista there was inside there.

Meanwhile, Chavez daughter, talks with the press, despite the massive censorship campaign. She reveals to everyone that her father was being held by the CIA at a military base. She also reveals that her father never resigned de jure as president. Chavez was transferred from Fort Tiuna to the Turiamo Naval Base, where he wrote a note indicating that he had not resigned “to the legitimate power that the people gave me”.

After that, thousands of Chavez’s supporters had come out to protest in front of the Miraflores Palace (Presidential Palace) and at the Paratroopers Brigade in Maracay. A few Generals opposed Carmona’s government and began to actively seek a way to restore Chavez to power. Either because they were simpathetic to Chavez, or because they were loyal to the constitution.

The people went on the gates of the Miraflores Palace, and began shouting and protesting. Members of the Presidential Guard, Police and Military Soldiers surrounded the Presidential Palace. Carmona and his ministers (Mostly Male White Venezuelans), began to fear for their lifes. They began calling the Colombian and Americans embassies. They quickly began running away when the Loyalist army, police and protestors stormed the gates. Many people were arrested. But Carmona escaped to Colombia.

Chavez’s ministers (Mostly progressive Natives, Afro-Venezuelans, Working Class Whites, Feminists, Socialists, etc…) return to power and Vice-President Diosdado Cabello, who had remained hidden, was received at the Presidential Palace and installed as provisional President of the Republic to avoid the vacuum of power, after this, Cabello’s first decision was to order the rescue of Chávez from the military prison in La Orchilla Island in the North of Venezuela.

It was believed Bush had ordered the CIA to kill Chavez or to send him to Colombia, but fortunely it seems they failed to do that because of the chaotic situation after the fall of Carmona’s Dictatorship. So, Chavez’s triumphal return to Maracaibo and the restitution of democracy took place in the early hours of the morning. Chavez gave a huge speech and said to the crowd and military personel there.

After that the opposition attempted another coup in 2004, a referendum to remove Chavez from power. But it failed, and they said it was fraud. Which was part of the economic sabotage act by the US backed trade unions, known as the Paro Nacional or the Paro Nacional of 2002-2003. This coup failed too.:::