The Venezuelan coup attempts of 1992 were an abortive coup d'état led by Hugo Chávez in February 1992, and a second attempted coup in November 1992, directed by others. The coups were directed against the Carlos Andrés Pérez government and its neoliberal policies. Despite its failure, the February coup attempt left a legacy of extended class polarization and controversy that lasts to the present day, and rocketed Chávez to the national spotlight.