The Venezuelan coup d'état attempt of 2002 was a failed coup d'état on 11 April 2002 that saw President Hugo Chávez ousted from office for 47 hours before being restored to power. Chávez, who had been elected in 2000, was aided in his return to power by popular support and mobilization against the coup by moderate ranks in the military.The situation began on 9 April, when a general strike was called by the trade union organization National Federation of Trade Unions (Confederación de Trabajadores de Venezuela, CTV). The proposed strike was in response to Chávez's appointments to prominent posts in Venezuela's national oil company, PDVSA. Two days later in Caracas, up to one million Venezuelans marched in opposition to Chávez. At one point during the march, opposition leaders redirected the protestors to the presidential palace, Miraflores, where government supporters and Bolivarian Circles were holding their own rally. Upon the opposition's arrival, the two sides confronted each other. A shootout started at the Llaguno Overpass, near the Miraflores Palace, and by that evening 19 people were dead, including both supporters and opponents of the government. The military high command refused Chávez's order to implement the Plan Ávila, a plan first used by Carlos Andrés Pérez during the Caracazo that resulted in the killings of hundreds and possibly thousands of Venezuelans, as a response to the protests and demanded him to resign. President Chávez was subsequently arrested by the military. Chávez's request for asylum in Cuba was denied, and he was ordered to be tried in a Venezuelan court.Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce (Fedecámaras) president Pedro Carmona was declared interim president. During his brief rule, the National Assembly and the Supreme Court were both dissolved and the country's 1999 Constitution was declared void. By the 13th, the coup was on the verge of collapse, as Carmona's attempts to entirely undo Chávez's reforms angered much of the public and key sectors of the military, while parts of the anti-Chávez movement also refused to back Carmona. When word began to spread that Chávez had not resigned, as was publicly claimed, Chávez supporters surrounded the presidential palace. In Caracas, Chávez supporters seized television stations and demanded his return. Carmona resigned the same night. The pro-Chávez Presidential Guard retook Miraflores without firing a shot, leading to the removal of the Carmona government and the re-installation of Chávez as president.

The coup was allegedly planned for some time, as those who opposed Chávez claimed without evidence that his government was becoming undemocratic. By early 2002, Chávez's approval rating dropped to around 30%. The growing dissatisfaction with Chávez among those in the military due to his aggressive manner and alliances with Cuba and paramilitaries also led multiple officers to call on Chávez to resign. Chávez initially denied allegations that the United States government sought to overthrow his government. It was later revealed that the US had prior knowledge of the coup attempt and that members of the US government had ties to prominent participants in the coup. However, the United States repeatedly informed the Venezuelan opposition that they would not be supported if there were a coup and warned the Chávez government of the plot. The private media was accused of biased reporting in support of the anti-Chávez protests and coup, with coverage being described as "lopsided", as well as "suppress[ed] and manipulate[d]". Allegations that owners of media organizations actively participated in the coup have not been proven.