Where Did Coup Leaders Get the Idea They Could Just Overthrow Chavez?
Probably from Chavez, who has never had much use for democracy himself. Full Story
So what exactly happened in Venezuela? Disaffected elements of the military decided to oust the sitting president. Yes, that president was elected democratically, but he's grown extremely unpopular and dogged by charges of widespread corruption. And then shortly after the coup looks like it has a chance, troops loyal to the president respond, crushing the coup and returning the democratically elected president to power.
That was the scene in February 1992 when a paratrooper named Hugo Chavez joined with others in the military and tried to overthrow the democratically elected president of Venezuela, Carlos Andres Perez. After initial success during the first day of the coup, military units loyal to Perez foiled Chavez and restored the president to power. Chavez finally won the office of president legitimately in 1998.
Now you might think that having won a democratic election in a landslide that Chavez would want to put his coup-leading days behind him. Unfortunately you would be wrong.
Just two months ago, in fact, Chavez held a four-day long series of festivities to mark the 10th anniversary of his failed coup attempt. He and his supporters dramatically retraced the route that they took in 1992.
Of the 1992 abortive coup, Chavez proclaimed that its 10th anniversary should be, "A day of national celebration, 4 February 2002 - 10 years since that day which opened the pathway to redemption for the heroic people of Venezuela."
Yeah, it must have been the CIA that put those thoughts of military coups into the heads of Chavez's opponents, since Chavez himself is such a firm, outspoken supporter of democracy.
Source:
Chavez marks his failed coup. The BBC, February 4, 2002.