Venezuela celebrates rise of Chavez 21 years ago Twin rallies have been held in Caracas and Havana to mark the anniversary of the failed 1992 coup by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Although it ended in disaster it cemented Chavez's revolutionary image, and was the first step towards him being elected in 1998. Vice-President Nicolas Maduro assured the tens of thousands of people in Caracas that Hugo Chavez, in a Cuban hospital since December 10, was on the mend and that the opposition would "never" run the country again. Maduro insisted that, unlike the political elite which escaped sanction for years of corruption and criminal activity Chavez had admitted his faults and served his time. On the other side of town opposition supporters heard their leader Henrique Capriles say that February 4 was a day to remember, not to celebrate. More about: Anniversary, Coup, Hugo Chavez, Venezuela