Ramtin Arablouei and Randa Abdel-Fattah

The economy boomed, and eventually the oil industry was nationalized.

Venezuela seemed to be a beacon of stability and prosperity.

In a region otherwise ravaged by civil wars and dictatorships,

through the 50s, 60s, 70s.

Problem was, most of that wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few at the top.

And in the 1980s, oil prices began to drop, and the economy began to decline.

The gap between rich and poor got bigger, and corruption in the government was rampant.

That's when Chavez began to think seriously about staging his own uprising.

So he got a bunch of his friends in the military together and formed a group called the Revolutionary Bolivarian Army, determined to lift up the poor by spreading the oil wealth around and championing a sort of deeper democracy.

For a few years, they plotted, planned, and by 1992, the pieces were set.

They were going to overthrow the president of Venezuela.

An attempted coup was taking place on the streets of Caracas.

Here's how it went down.

On the morning of February 4th, five military units were dispersed across the country.

Their mission?

To take over key government posts.

The defense ministry, the military airport, the military museum, the presidential palace, and the national TV station, where they planned to broadcast a video.

On the part of Chávez and other of the leaders of this movement,

calling on the population to rise up.

I remember, you know, my mother turning on the television.