2002 Venezuelan coup attempt: Difference between revisions

By 12:30 pm, thousands of government supporters were gathered around the palace blocking all routes to Miraflores except for the [[Llaguno Overpass]], which was where the Bolivarian Circles had gathered to overlook the route.<ref name="p2325NELSON">{{Harvsp|Nelson|2009|pp=23–25}}</ref> As the march turned a corner and began to approach the Miraflores at about 2:00 pm, the National Guard fired about twelve [[tear gas]] canisters from behind the palace walls and the protesters fled back down the road.<ref name="USdosTALE">{{cite web |title=TALE OF TWO CITIES – THE MARCH ON MIRAFLORES PALACE |url=https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/146788.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231123620/https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/146788.pdf |archive-date=31 December 2016 |access-date=5 February 2015 |website=[[United States Department of State]]}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=November 2023}} The protesters made it closer to Miraflores and the Presidential Guard responded with more tear gas. About 20 gas canisters caused panic and a dispersion ofdispersed the demonstrators tofrom areas surrounding the palace.<ref name=USdosTALE/>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=November 2023}}

Since other routes were blocked by the National Guard, many marchers began to head down Baralt Avenue in order to reach Miraflores.<ref name=p2932NELSON>{{Harvsp|Nelson|2009|pp=29–32}}</ref> On Baralt Avenue, near the Llaguno Overpass as the march inched closer hundreds of Chávez supporters gathered and began throwing large rocks, Molotov cocktails and even tear gas at the demonstrators.<ref name=p2932NELSON/><ref name=p2930NELSON>{{Harvsp|Nelson|2009|pp=29–30}}</ref><ref name=p34NELSON>{{Harvsp|Nelson|2009|page=34}}</ref> Upon arrival of the marchers at Miraflores, the opposing sides were initially separated by two forces: the National Guard loyal to Chávez and the Metropolitan Police controlled by former Caracas mayor Alfredo Pena, a former Chávez supporter who had joined the opposition.<ref name=gottp255/> As marchers and Chavistas clashed, the Metropolitan Police attempted to separate both sides from further confrontation with two trucks with water cannons.<ref name=p2932NELSON/>

Trying to regain the initiative, Chávez spoke in a lengthy broadcast on the successes of his administration while calling for peace, but the networks decided to split the screen, showing the violence outside the palace, with the audio from the speech appearing disrupted.<ref name=p7378NELSON/> A few minutes after the speech concluded, gunfire erupted again and the march began to disperse slightly.<ref name=p4144NELSON>{{Harvsp|Nelson|2009|pp=41–44}}</ref> As the demonstrators marched closer to the Llaguno Overpass, they could see Chavistas heavily armed, some with pistols.<ref name=p4144NELSON/>Metropolitan Police began to disperse the Chavista gunmen returning fire and fewchavistas demonstrators began to follow behind them with pings ofexchanged gunfire heard on the police armored vehicles, thoughand the marchers fled shortly after as the violence grew.<ref name=p4144NELSON/> According to medical staff at the Vargas Hospital, the first to arrive at the hospital were opposition marchers.<ref name=p103106NELSON>{{Harvsp|Nelson|2009|pp=103–106}}</ref> According to surgeons, the marchers had been shot in the back with handgun fire while fleeing and others were severely injured from [[7.62×51mm NATO]] military rounds from [[Fal rifle]]s, standard equipment of the National Guard defending Chávez.<ref name=p103106NELSON/> Later after police responded to pro-Chávez shooting, Chávez supporters then began being seen injured in the hospitals.<ref name=p103106NELSON/> As a result of the confrontations, 19 were left dead,<ref name="TWT" /> most killed between 3:20 pm and 3:55 pm, and over 150 injured.<ref name="Nelson12">{{Harvsp|Nelson|2009|page=1–8}}</ref> Most of those killed were Chávez supporters.<ref name=gottp255/>