Caracazo

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 the Venezuelan capital Caracas and surrounding towns. The week-long clashes resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people, thousands by some accounts, most at the hands of security forces and the military. The riots and protests began mainly in response to the government's economic reforms and the resulting increase in the price of gasoline and transportation.