November 1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt
Part of theBolivarian Revolution
Still image of Chávez during the attempted coup
Date 27 November 1992 Location Venezuela Result Failed attempt to depose theCarlos Andrés Pérez government.
Belligerents
Venezuelan Government Venezuelan Armed Forces	MBR-200 Cuba (alleged) DGI
Commanders and leaders
Carlos Pérez Gen.Fernando Antich
Military support
Army loyalists	Military rebels
Casualties and losses
172 killed[1][2] and 95 injured.[2]

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TheVenezuelan coup attempt of November 1992 was an attempt to seize control of the government ofVenezuela that took place on 27 November 1992. It was led by a group of young military officers who were loyal to theHugo Chávez-ledRevolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200 (MBR-200), while Chávez was in prison for thecoup d'état attempt earlier that year.^[1]

Venezuela had enjoyed democratic stability since 1958, as well as a degree of prosperity. This prosperity was greatly enhanced in the 1970s, when oil prices increased substantially, and Venezuela, a largepetroleum exporter, received large revenues, which increased per capita income by about 40%.^[3][4] Venezuela experienced modernization and had one of the highest GDP per capita in its history, while also having an exchange rate of 4 bolivares per 1 US dollar.^[3]

However, in the 1980s, other oil producers (especiallySaudi Arabia) raised their production, and oil prices dropped. Venezuela's oil revenues dropped substantially, and per capita income declined by about 25%.^[4] This imperiled economic and social stability in general. The government's overspending on programs caused massive levels of debt with poverty, inflation and unemployment rising while income declined. Corruption was also widespread, with crime increasing yearly, making the Venezuelan public, primarily the poor who especially felt neglected, become outraged.^[3]

TheIMF offered assistance to Venezuela with these debts, but on condition of Venezuela enacting budgetary and fiscal reforms to curtail the deficits. In 1989, President Pérez put these liberalization policies into effect, reducing social spending and many commodity subsidies, and removing longstanding price controls on many goods.^{[citation needed]} The resultant discontent erupted in the "Caracazo" beginning on 27 February 1989.^[5]

Many of the participants in the coups had been members of thePartido de la Revolución Venezolana (PRV) in the 1970s. The PRV was created by ex-Communist and guerrilla fighterDouglas Bravo, who after failing in an armed insurrection, sought to infiltrate the Venezuelan armed forces to reach power.^[6] Thus, preparation for the coup began more than ten years before Pérez was re-elected in 1988.

The coup organizers rejected the ruling bipartisanship in Venezuela between the two political parties,Democratic Action andCOPEI, which they saw as a corrupt andclientelist establishment.

TheMovimiento Bolivariano Revolucionario 200 (MBR-200) was founded in 1982 by Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Chávez Frías, who was later joined byFrancisco Arias Cárdenas. They used the Venezuelan independence heroSimón Bolívar as their group's symbol. Their main complaint was the corruption of Carlos Andrés Pérez as well as Venezuela's ongoing economic difficulties and social turmoil. In the view of these two men, the entire political system had to be changed in order for social change to occur.

In February 1989 shortly before theCaracazo, Cuban presidentFidel Castro allegedly placedsleeper agents in Venezuela to create unrest.^{[citation needed]} With Cuba recently entering itsSpecial Period and experiencing economic difficulties as a result of theSoviet Union'sPerestroika, Castro allegedly sought to establish an ally in Venezuela so Cuba could also enjoy funds from oil profits.^[7] As theRevolutions of 1989 occurred in Soviet states, Castro had allegedly began to organize a coup in late 1989 that would indirectly use sleeper agents who participated in the Caracazo.^[8] Castro, who was allegedly one of the main organizers according to Venezuelan Major Orlando Madriz Benítez, would instead use Chávez as the face of a civil-military action in order to avoid retaliatory actions from the United States.^[9]

While officially unconfirmed,Cuban involvement in and facilitation of the coup attempts was alleged by multiple sources.CIA analystBrian Latell suggested that the Cuban intelligence agency, theDirección General de Inteligencia (DGI), may have utilized Chávez to fulfill Cuban strategic dominance of Venezuela and its oil reserves. In Latell's view, the DGI may have either hired Chávez as an agent or provided critical aid to his coup plots.^[10] Latell claims Cuba had previously engaged in efforts to destabilize Venezuela by aiding guerrillas in the 1960s.^[11] According to General Carlos Julio Peñaloza in his bookEl Delfín de Fidel, bothFidel Castro and the succeeding President of Venezuela,Rafael Caldera, knew of Chávez's coup plot.^[12] Castro allegedly provided agents to convince President Pérez that there was no threat of a coup.^[12] After the coup, Caldera, manipulated by Castro and Chávez, was then supposed to take power after Pérez was removed from the presidency.^[12]

On 27 November 1992, a second coup attempt was launched. It was led by officers from the air force and navy, including pilotLuis Reyes Reyes [es]. The group had contacts with Chávez in prison and had learned some lessons from the February coup's errors, including launching at 4:30 am instead of midnight, and obtaining communications equipment to ensure they would not be stranded without it.

In a bloody shooting, they took over theVenezolana de Televisión state-run television station, killing several of the station's workers in the process.^[13] The rebels broadcast a video made in prison by Chávez, calling for a popular uprising. However, the rebels failed to take over other broadcast outlets such asTeleven, allowing Pérez to address the nation and declare that the rebellion had failed.^{[citation needed]}

External videos
Chávez's rebel Broncos bombing the Sucre Police Headquarters. onYouTube

The rebels also seized control of major air bases and largely gained control of the skies. After a minor pilot defection enabled government forces to shoot down a rebel plane, the rebels bombed some targets. They bombed theHelicoide Caracas headquarters ofDISIP, theMiraflores Presidential Palace, the Sucre Police headquarters andGeneralisimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base. However, by 9:00 am, it was clear that there was little other success for the rebels.^[14]

Mirage fighter jets in rebel hands bombed an army barracks west of Caracas; however, the attack had little effect on slowing down the government counterattack. Around the same time, an F-16 pilot loyal to the government managed to engage and shoot down anOV-10 over the city ofBarquisimeto.^[15][16]

An attempt to free Chávez and his associates from jail failed, and government forces retook most military bases. At about 3:00 pm, the remaining rebels took off forPeru in twoC-130s, although they made it only as far asIquitos. In total, the November death toll reached 172, much higher than the February attempt.^{[citation needed]}

Most of the coup participants fled to Peru, where they were received by dictatorAlberto Fujimori as political asylees. Carlos Andrés Pérez's government had previously severed diplomatic relations with Peru in April afterFujimori carried out a self-coup the same year.^[13]

Venezolana de Television's offices reportedly suffered severe damages after the bloody battle inside the headquarters and the channel was ultimately off the air for several months.^[17]

• Night of the Tanks
• Los Notables

• 1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempts
• 1990s coups d'état
• 1992 in Venezuela
• Carlos Andrés Pérez
• Conflicts in 1992
• Hugo Chávez
• Military coups in Venezuela
• November 1992 in South America

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