People of Venezuela foiled the US imperialist inspired and directed attempt to overthrow their elected Govt. of Hugo Chavez. Lakhs of people poured onto the streets and Army soldiers revolted against the coup de’tat authored by the US imperialist rulers. Within 48 hours, Hugo Chavez was restored as President.

The oil rich Venezuela, a prominent member of OPEC, became a subject of US hatched conspiracy. This coup was planned by the US Admn. in connivance with a pro-US section of Venezuelan reactionaries and top Army commanders trained in US. In this, the organization of the big businessmen of Venezuela, FEDECAMARAS, played a prominent role. Its president was elevated to short-lived presidency when Chavez was sought to be ousted. They had reckoned that they would be able to do away with an elected Govt., as is routine for US Admn., but they had not reckoned with the steady resolve of the people of Venezuela not to let US and its cronies be the arbiters of their destiny.

The background of this plot was a strike action which started on April 10 in which a pro-management TU, Venezuelan Workers’ Council (CTV), played an important role. The strike evoked only partial response but at the most places owners closed their factories themselves.

After April 10 strike, FEDECAMARAS and CTV called for a demonstration on April 11. This was backed by vigorous campaign against Chavez in the pro-US media. ON April 11, large sections of Chavez supporters gathered to defend Chavez Govt. While Chavez was appealing for calm, the leaders of April 11 demonstration directed their followers to clash with the supporters of Chavez. Their aim was that blood must flow so that the plot can be executed.

The Govt. gave an order to the National Guard to place themselves between the two groups to avoid clashes. But some sharpshooters fired from the tops of high buildings and two supporters of President Chavez died. Then the demonstrators attacked the National Guard, while the auxillary police of Mayor of Caracas fired on Pro-Chavez demonstrators. They unleashed violence as planned. Majority of deaths, according to one report, were from among the supporters of President Chavez.

From the night of April 11, a group of National Guard and a large part of Army Command turned against Chavez and seized the TV station. The reactionary Venezuelan media and ‘international media’ announced ouster of Chavez but their jubilation was to be short-lived.

This coup d’etat was a CIA plot much like the one carried out in Chile in September 1973 with the corrupt section of TU leadership ganging up with the owners to oust a popular Govt., once again showing how such elements can be used in the most notorious crimes against the working class and the people. The media controlled by big business joined in the attempt to blame pro-Chavez forces for the deaths of demonstrators. Much against the facts, they laid the blame on supporters of Chavez, rather than his opponents who were really to blame.

The hand of US Admn. was revealed as Bush Admn. rushed to welcome the new Venezuelan Govt. It was a demonstration of new Bush doctrine, a more savage and aggressive version of long-standing US policy particularly towards countries of Latin America.

The top Army commanders who had played a leading role in the coup had been trainees of US Army School of the Americas (SOA) renamed in 2001 as Western hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC). Army Commander in Chief Efrain Vasquez and General Ramirez Poveda had been to this notorious school which is training the worst abusers of human rights and coup plotters in Latin American countries. With the support of military, FEDECAMARAS president Pedro Carmona assumed illegitimate and short lived presidency.

However events moved faster. Large sections of the people came out into the streets. Soldiers and lower level officers too started revolting, which the Army commanders had not reckoned with. With that the game of US supported coup plotters was over. Chavez was restored to Presidency nearly 48 hours after the coup attempt. The ‘international media’ which had highlighted the coup, took a very short notice of this victory of the people over US plotted coup.

Chavez had done enough to be a thorn in the eyes of the US Admn. which wants the regimes of third world countries to be totally pliable to its dictates. Specially it is intolerant of any opposing voice emanating from any Latin American country.  Chavez has been spearheading a campaign among the OPEC countries for reduction in oil quotas to get better price for their crude oil. More importantly, Chavez has been consistently opposing US dictates. He has been opposing the inhuman US blockade of Cuba and has been supporting the Cuban Govt. in their struggle against US imperialists. When US has turned Saddam Hussain of Iraq as a virtual pariah of the international community, Chavez visited Iraq and has been opposing sanctions against Iraq. Chavez has been opposing US aggressive designs in Latin American countries and has been a vocal opponent of US hegemony in the fora of Latin American countries.  

CIA plot to overthrow Chavez should be seen as a part of US led aggressive wars around the globe. It should be seen in conjunction with US led aggression against Afghanistan, US backed Israeli aggression against Palestinian territories in West Bank and Gaza, US military and logistic support to Nepal monarchy to crush the revolutionary movement there, US stationing its troops in Colombia and Philippines to crush the people’s movements there and the US support to reactionary regimes the world over to intensify their aggression against the people of their own countries, specially against the revolutionary movements there.

Venezuelan crisis of April 11-13 shall be remembered as much for the US backed plot but more for the defeat suffered by the US Admn. as it moves ahead to force its wishes on the people of the world, as it tries to turn the clock back and reduce the world countries into neocolonies and as it tries to secure its hegemony over the globe. It was a defeat delivered by the people to an arrogant, aggressive and barbaric superpower and the forces willing to betray their countries at the behest of imperialists. This defeat is a harbinger of increasing difficulties of the sole hegemonic superpower. They shall not stop in fomenting trouble rather it would redouble its efforts, but it has been a lesson well taught.