JIMMY CARTER says the US was probably behind the 2002 coup against Chavez:

Jimmy Carter, a former US president, has said that Washington knew about an abortive coup against Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, in 2002, and that it may even have taken part.

"I think there is no doubt that in 2002, the United States had at the very least full knowledge about the coup, and could even have been directly involved," Carter said in an interview with Colombian El Tiempo newspaper published on Sunday.

It's unknown whether he also said it was because Chavez is half black...

UPDATE. Here's the full interview by Colombia's El Tiempo, in Spanish.