▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁Venezuela ' s ▁dem ocr atic ▁history ▁that ▁a ▁President ▁had ▁been ▁elected ▁without ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁either ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁major ▁parties . ▁It ▁was ▁sympt om atic ▁that ▁Cal der a ' s ▁election ▁platform ▁included ▁p ardon ing ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁coup ▁attempts , ▁and ▁he ▁did ▁so ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁Hugo ▁Ch á vez , ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁his ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁coup ▁attempt , ▁was ▁among ▁those ▁released . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁the ▁economic ▁crisis ▁had ▁grown ▁even ▁worse . ▁Per ▁cap ita ▁G DP ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁level ▁as ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁down ▁a ▁third ▁from ▁its ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁peak ; ▁the ▁purch asing ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁average ▁sal ary ▁was ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁its ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁level . ▁ ▁Ch á vez ' s ▁participation ▁For ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years ▁after ▁his ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁release ▁from ▁prison , ▁Ch á vez ▁maintained ▁a ▁position ▁against ▁participation ▁in ▁elections , ▁bel ieving ▁them ▁a ▁fixed ▁game ▁which ▁merely ▁legit im ated ▁the ▁established ▁order . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁split ▁with ▁his ▁colle ague ▁Francisco ▁A rias ▁C ár den as , ▁who ▁left ▁the ▁MB R - 2 0 0 . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁after ▁his ▁release , ▁Ch á vez ▁considered ▁the ▁possibility