The US government, angered by Chavez' attacks on US foreign policies and his measures that benefit the poor rather than corporate interests, openly supported the coup, and the US ambassador at the time, Charles Shapiro, was seen hugging Pedro Carmona, the head of Venezuela’s main chamber of commerce, who was installed as dictator before being forced out by a popular uprising two days later.
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This year the Venezuelan government has repeatedly accused the US government of plotting to kill Chavez, insisting it has evidence of such a plot. The US, which has made repeated verbal attacks on Chavez, has denied the accusation. However, if the evidence provided by Vasquez De Armas is correct, then it reveals that as early as 2003 the US was actively engaged in a plot to carry out terrorist attacks inside Venezuela with the aim of destabilising and bringing down the government, including potentially the assassination of Chavez himself.
Given the US's history of plotting against governments around the world that it sees as a threat to its interests, such a scenario would come as no surprise.
