SAN JUAN, Argentina, July 18, (Agencies): Venezuela completed a weekend of Copa America shocks by reaching the semi-finals for their first time in their history with a gutsy 2-1 win over fancied Chile on Sunday.
Oswaldo Vizcarrondo gave Venezuela a 34th-minute lead only for Humberto Suazo to level midway through the second half.
That gave the Chileans fresh energy and they had the Venezuelans on the rack for the best part of the next quarter-hour.
But just as extra-time seemed to be on the way once again Gabriel Cichero struck from close range to spark scenes of joy among the travelling Venezuelan fans and leave the Chileans, four-times finalists, stunned.
The giant-killers will now go up against a Paraguay side which sent holders Brazil packing after a penalty shootout success at La Plata outside Buenos Aires.
But the baseball-loving Venezuelans will have to make do without Tomas Rincon, red-carded in injury-time for some shirt pulling.

Chile also finished a man short after having Gary Medel sent off eight minutes from the end.
The shockwaves reached as far as Cuba, where joyous Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, preparing for chemotherapy on the Communist island, sent out his customary congratulatory tweet.
“Glory to the brave people! Let’s pay supreme tribute to our boys from the Glorious Vinotinto (the team nickname),” Chavez tweeted.
“Viva Venezuela! Oh what a goal. Bravo Venezuela,” tweeted an exuberant Chavez at half-time after Vizcarrondo’s opener, indicating his belief that former Cuban leader and long-time friend Fidel Castro had “brought the Vinotinto luck.”
Coach Cesar Farias was also delighted - though in typically more restrained fashion. “The happiness we feel gives us the desire to keep on in the same vein,” said Farias. But he added that winning the semi would be a tall order.

“Paraguay are a strong team and they will start favourites, insisted Farias. Goalkeeper Renny Vega told Fox Sports that “we are getting stronger all the time. I just hope we can get to the final now.”
“We played when we had to play, and suffered when we had to suffer,” Venezuela coach Cesar Farias said. “And we had luck when we needed to have luck.”
Throughout the tournament Farias has been pleading for respect, trying to cast aside the image of a country far better known for its baseball talent. Venezuela is the only country of the 10 in the South American confederation that has never played in the World Cup.
“We beat a rival who was in the World Cup,” Farias said of Chile, which reached the second round last year in South Africa. “Chile’s players were the revelation of last year’s World Cup qualifying, and they confirmed it at the World Cup.”
Chile, which had the best record in the group stage with seven points from nine, goes the way of Brazil and Argentina and leaves the tournament with Uruguay as the slight favorite. Uruguay has won the title 14 times, the same as Argentina.

“I am leaving sad,” said Chile coach Claudio Borghi, who replaced Marcelo Bielsa after the World Cup. “But I don’t feel cheated. Unfortunately, we were not able to meet all the expectations people had.” Chile had several chances in the second half.
In the 54th, Alexis Sanchez’s header was cleared off the line by a Chile defender. Seconds later, Suazo hit the post. Chile pressed on with Jorge Valdivia hitting the post in the 58th.
Ten minutes later, Gary Medel’s short-range header was stopped by keeper Renny Vega. Both teams finished with 10 players. Chile’s Medel was sent off for his second yellow card in the 83rd, and Tomas Rincon was shown a red card in second-half injury time.
Lineups:
Venezuela: Renny Vega, Roberto Rosales, Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, Grenddy Perozo, Gabriel Cichero, Tomas Rincon, Franklin Lucena, Cesar Gonzalez (Alejandro Moreno, 89), Juan Arango, Nicolas Fedor (Jose Salomon Rondon, 59), Giancarlo Maldonado (Luis Seijas, 64).
Chile: Claudio Bravo, Pablo Contreras, Waldo Ponce, Gonzalo Jara (Esteban Paredes, 59), Mauricio Isla, Carlos Carmona (Jorge Valdivia, 45), Gary Medel, Arturo Vidal, Luis Jimenez (Carlos Munoz, 82), Alexis Sanchez, Humberto Suazo.