On April 13, 2025, the Hugo Chavez International Foundation for Peace, Friendship and Solidarity (HCIF-PFS) issued a statement commemorating what it describes as the enduring victory of democracy following the brief military coup in April 2002.
According to the foundation, the coup, which unfolded on April 11, 2002, attempted to unseat the democratically elected President Hugo Chávez. The effort was swiftly overturned by a massive mobilization of Venezuelans who demanded Chávez’s reinstatement, an act that the foundation portrays as a decisive repudiation of imperialist ambitions.
The statement details how, merely two days after Chávez was deposed by a faction within the military an action allegedly backed by the United States and its allies public outcry and rapid collective action restored him to power. Describing the episode as the first violent attempt to forcibly change a government in the twenty-first century, the HCIF-PFS account emphasizes that the coup’s failure was rooted in the resolute resistance of the people. The message situates this historic episode within a broader context of alleged external interference, linking it to subsequent actions in Haiti, Honduras, Paraguay, Brazil, and Bolivia, as well as to interventions in North Africa and the Sahel region.
The foundation’s narrative reiterates that the popular support for Chávez, evidenced by a series of transparent and decisive elections, marked a watershed moment in Venezuelan politics. It argues that the regime’s use of the country’s substantial oil revenues to fund social transformation programs challenged longstanding elite dominance and contributed to meaningful improvements in poverty reduction and literacy rates. The text criticizes the role of international institutions and Western governments in fomenting economic instability through sanctions and propagating narratives designed to delegitimize Chávez’s policies and, later, those of his successor Nicolás Maduro.
While the account is rooted in a strong ideological perspective that denounces imperialist policies, it also offers a detailed chronology of events intended to reaffirm the resilience of Venezuelan democracy. By tracing the coup’s unfolding and its reversal by the people, the statement serves as both a historical record and a call to solidarity with what it terms a revolutionary government committed to countering external subjugation. In this light, the HCIF-PFS message not only celebrates a pivotal moment in Venezuelan history but also underscores the ongoing struggle against what it describes as a pattern of destabilization in favor of external interests.
This commemoration offers a moment for reflection on the complex interplay between domestic resolve and international pressures. It illustrates how a collective demand for justice and constitutional order can prevail over attempts at authoritarian interruption. In essence, the legacy of the failed coup remains an emblem of national unity a reminder that the strength of a people’s voice can reshape a nation’s destiny even against formidable external forces.
