1000. 1992 and beyond Chávez, who had been involved since the early 1980s in a leftist group in the military called the Movimiento Bolivariano Revolucionario 200 (MBR 200), first came to national prominence as the leader of a coup attempt on Pérez in February 1992. Although the attempt failed, before being imprisoned Chávez was allowed to speak on national television, during which he apologised for the loss of lives and called on his forces to cease fighting, but also defended his goals of reform and stated famously that he was putting down his weapons "por ahora" – for now – implying that he might one day return. That brief television appearance gave Chávez national recognition. Pérez survived another coup attempt in November 1992, but was impeached by Congress in 1993 for using $17 million to finance the campaign of Violetta Chamorro in Nicaragua and his own inauguration party. Rafael Caldera succeeded him by winning elections in December 1993 with 30% of the vote to his nearest rival's 23%. As per one of his election promises, he pardoned Chávez and other army dissidents in March 1994. Like Pérez, he adopted IMF programs in 1996 and 1997 that stipulated liberalization adjustment and opened the state oil industry to private investment. In November 1996, about 1.3 million workers walked off the job in a general public sector strike; and in late August 1998, Caldera obtained legislation from Congress enabling him to rule by decree. During this period, the late 1990s, the principal leftist parties were La Causa Radical (LCR), which won 48 congressional seats in 1993, and the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS). Hugo Chávez and the MBR 200 also remained active. At the MBR 200 national assembly in December 1996, its members voted to participate in the upcoming 1998 presidential and 1998 parliamentary elections, and created a new organisation, the Fifth Republic Movement (Movimiento Quinta República, MVR) intended to unite groups opposed to the main parties. Chávez's bid for the presidency was supported by a coalition called the Polo Patriótico (Patriotic Pole, PP) which, besides Chávez's MVR, included the PPT, and significant portions of the MAS, LCR, Movimiento Primero de Mayo, and Bandera Roja. The major promises in the election platform enunciated by Chávez during his 1998 campaign included the following: Reorientation of the oil industry: Cease privatisation of the state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela. Review concessions that the state had granted