The Caracazo took place in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
Caracas ( [ kaˈɾakas ] ; [ kaˈɾaːkaʰ ] ) , officially Santiago de León de Caracas , is the capital , the center of the Greater Caracas Area , and the largest city of Venezuela . The Caracazo , or sacudón , is the name given to the wave of protests , riots , looting , shootings and massacres that began on 27 February 1989 in Venezuela 's capital , Caracas , and the surrounding towns .