That morning was one more of those of February of the year 1992. Almost three years ago “The Caracazo”a revolt that ended with hundreds of deaths, looting and a disaster when claiming the increase in gasoline price. Now, there was a coup led by Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Chavez and behind him a whole political project that would be known later.
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The second government of Carlos Andres Perez would dawn on Tuesday, February 2 in the midst of the military uprising called today by the followers of Chavismo as the “Day of Dignity”.
After hours of uncertainty, television showing images of a tank trying to enter the presidential palace, deaths and confusion, Chavez through national channels said: “For now the objectives we set have not been achieved in the capital city.”
Today marks 30 years of that “for now” that would later become “21st Century Socialism” trying to spread throughout Latin America, but that continues to find supporters and detractors.
For the ruling party, it is 30 years of “resistance” and “fight” against “empires”, but for others it would be the beginning of the debacle in the country.
“Three decades against common sense”, this is how the history teacher considers it Pedro Benitez, assuring that Venezuelan society has avoided acting according to reason because there are no “shortcuts” to change the political situation or to recover the economy. But the scholar also believes that some lessons have now been learned from 30 years “lost”.
For the official deputy Francisco Torrealba, These 30 years, on the contrary, have “demonstrated” a political maturity. “With February 4, it was made clear that the people were not willing to be subjected to organisms controlled by empires,” he told EL TIEMPO.
Torrealba insists that one of the “lessons” has been not to fall into the “imperialist policies” of organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. “The people are not willing to back down.”
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Precisely one of the reasons for the coup plotters, who were imprisoned and then gradually pardoned, was opposition to an adjustment program promoted by the IMF and that Carlos Andrés Pérez would apply. Although the president resisted the coup, the conspiracies would not stop.
Years later, in 1998, Chávez won the elections and took his phrase “for now” to continue implementing his project hand in hand with Cuba, since Fidel Castro It was always behind Venezuela, according to the political scientist and international specialist Rommer Ytriago.
For Ytriago, the 4F (February 4) was one of the most important events within the “most solid democracy” in Latin America for three decades. “The politicians did not find at that moment the feeling that was happening in the town, but Chavez until that moment is only an armed rebel, he is not a military man who took over the government.”
What happened was that – Ytriago tells this newspaper – the lodge that Hugo Chávez composed was not known. It was thought that the currents of the left would cease, but history would later show that the arrival of Chávez “would be the expansion of a hegemonic project in the region of 21st century socialism and that it has unleashed authoritarianism.”
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At these 30 years, the chavism continues to celebrate his permanence in power assumed in 1999. He has also made flag that February 4 full of uncertainty that ended with deaths and the surrender of the soldiers who accompanied Chávez, but who until today remain in ministerial and strategic positions within the administration of Nicholas Maduro and the Army itself.
Since Wednesday, Chavismo celebrates this date again with the inauguration of squares and monuments in memory of Chávez and what they have called a feat.
ANA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
TIME CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
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