The CD was created in large part to enable the opposition to participate in the Organization of American States (OAS) "mesa" dialogue process ("Mesa de Negociacion y Acuerdos") which followed the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt. "The opposition participated in the OAS-facilitated dialogue process as but one of several tracks in a multitrack strategy to oust the Chavez government. ... As long as the elements grouped together under the Coordinadora Democratica continued their pursuit of street tactics, the mesa advanced little on its three-point agenda. Instead, it served during this period of heightened mobilization as a valuable communication link between two polarized sides that were otherwise not communicating."