Britain refused to help Hugo Chávez amid Venezuela coup
Exclusive: UK embassy feared backlash from “wealthier residents of Caracas” if it helped save Venezuelan president’s life in 2002
JOHN McEVOY
8 January 2026
Britain’s embassy in Caracas rebuffed appeals to help Venezuela’s democratically elected president during a right-wing coup, newly unearthed documents reveal.
The coup that ousted Hugo Chávez on 11 April 2002 was orchestrated by dissident military officers and opposition figures, with support from Washington.
After 47 hours, however, Chávez had been reinstated as Venezuela’s president following massive popular mobilisations against his removal.
Newly released documents reveal how, during those two tumultuous days, Chávez appealed to the British embassy in Caracas to help save his life.
The documents were obtained by Declassified through a Freedom of Information request to the Foreign Office.
Chávez asked to be flown to Havana, with the Cuban government impressing on the British embassy in Caracas that “they were very concerned” about the president’s welfare.
They were therefore trying to “get him on a plane to Cuba” and looking for a team of ambassadors “to accompany Chavez to the airport in convoy in order to assure his safety”.
On 11 April, shortly before resigning under duress, Chávez also phoned the UK ambassador in Caracas, John Hughes, to ask whether Britain could “help to preserve his wellbeing”.
Tony Blair’s government had more positive relations with Chávez than the US, having hosted him at Downing Street months prior.
However, the British embassy in Caracas was reluctant to help him during the coup.
UK officials worried about the possible reaction from Venezuela’s upper classes, who had overwhelmingly supported the coup against Chávez.
“Local public feeling – at least among the wealthier residents of Caracas – was that Chavez should be put on trial for his part in the recent violence”, one embassy official wrote.
Hughes was also unclear on who “was in control of the country” and recommended “we should not act precipitately [sic]… while a power vacuum remained”.
In addition, the British ambassador was not convinced that Chávez’s life was in “immediate danger”.
His view was that “if conditions deteriorated, then perhaps we should consider helping, given that Chavez was the democratically elected leader”.
After appealing for Britain’s help, Chávez was arrested and taken to a military base during the early hours of 12 April.
“As Chavez is now under arrest”, the Foreign Office noted later that day, “the question” of helping him travel safely to the airport “no longer arises”.
Britain refused to help Hugo Chávez amid Venezuela coup
That will get your oil companies kicked out. Now the US is after Iran where they were kicked out for their complicity in putting down protests against the Shah. |
