On 24 June 1960 there was an assassination attempt against Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt, ordered by the Dominican dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo.

In turn, Trujillo had developed an obsessive personal hatred of Betancourt and supported many plots by Venezuelan exiles to overthrow him.

The Venezuelan government took its case against Trujillo to the Organization of American States, turning to diplomacy first over armed response to resolve the political conflict.

After multiple failed attempts, which were stopped by Trujillo's allies against his wishes, an incendiary car bomb was detonated on 24 June 1960.

The bomb was placed in a parked vehicle and detonated as Betancourt's presidential car drove by Paseo Los Próceres, one of the main avenues of Caracas.