The national symbols of Venezuela are those that identify this country as a sovereign nation. They are the representation of the spirit and effort of the heroes to achieve the independence of Venezuela, which would become an example for the rest of Latin America.
They tend to be a common denominator of pride among fellow citizens and, in turn, synonymous with union between them.
In the national ephemerides it is customary to exalt them as a sign of respect, and each hides patterns of great significance after every minute detail.
flag
In spite of having had several modifications until reaching the one that is hoisted today, its concept starts from the original design of Francisco de Miranda.
This design was hoisted for the first time in the Haitian flagship, the"Leander", on March 12, 1806, as part of the liberation expedition of Miranda. On August 3 of the same year it would be hoisted for the first time in Venezuelan lands, specifically in the Vela de Coro.
It is formed by 3 symmetrical stripes with the colors yellow, blue and red, in that order respectively from top to bottom, with the shield in the upper left corner, eight white five-pointed stars in the central band and a ratio of 2 :3.
The eighth star was added on March 7, 2006, when the National Assembly of that time sanctioned the new Law of Symbols.
Through this law, Bolívar's horse is also represented, represented on the shield facing forward, as a sign of the search for the future.
The reason for the change is based on the decree made by the Liberator Simon Bolivar in Guyanese lands: that the freedom of said territory should be represented with an eighth star in the Venezuelan patriotic symbol.
Each color has a different meaning represented as follows:
Yellow
It is the first of the bars. It represents the riches of Venezuelan lands, particularly gold.
blue
It represents the Caribbean Sea that bathes all the Venezuelan coasts.
Red
This color emerges in honor of all the blood shed by the heroes and warriors who accompanied them during the independence battles.
For years, on March 12, the Flag Day was celebrated in commemoration of the first hoisting, but then by decree of the National Assembly that celebration became August 3, the day of the first hoist in Venezuela.
Shield
It is officially called the Coat of Arms of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. It has undergone several modifications, but it has maintained the base of the one established in 1863 as the flagship of the federation.
It is divided into three barracks that paint the same colors of the flag. The left quarter is red and carries in its interior a bundle of corn, which is proportional to the number of states in the country, and symbolizes the union and wealth of the country.
The right quarter is yellow. He carries a sword, a spear, a bow and arrow inside a quiver, a machete and two national flags interlaced by a laurel wreath, which represents the triumph of the nation over its oppressors.
Finally, the lower quarter is blue and shows a white indomitable horse galloping to the left, emblem of independence.
The shield is bordered by an olive branch to the left and a palm branch to the right, tied below with a ribbon with the national tricolor.
In the blue strip of this ribbon the inscriptions"April 19, 1810"and"Independence"on the left are read in gold letters. On the right appear the phrases"February 20, 1859"and"Federation", and in the center highlights the phrase"Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."
As a symbol of abundance in its upper part it has two cornucopias intertwined in the middle, distributed horizontally, full of fruits and tropical flowers.
National anthem
It is a patriotic song known as"Gloria al bravo pueblo", composed in 1810. It was decreed national anthem of Venezuela on May 25, 1881 by the then president Antonio Guzmán Blanco.
It was composed by Vicente Salias in the lyrics and Juan José Landaeta in music, although it has had official modifications made by Eduardo Calcaño in 1881, Salvador Llamozas in 1911 and Juan Bautista Plaza in 1947.
The one of Juan Bautista square is the official version used at the moment, but its true origin goes back to the revolution in times of the search of independence. As a result of the events of April 19, 1810, the patriotic society was formed in Caracas.
Its members, excited about the success of the song"Caraqueños, otra época inicia"with lyrics by Andrés Bello and music by Cayetano Carreño, suggested the creation of a song to seize the moment and encourage more people to join the independence cause.
In that same moment the doctor and poet Juan Vicente Salias improvised what would become the beginning of the first verse of the Venezuelan national anthem:"Gloria al Bravo Pueblo".
Once the independence was established, the song remained in the mind of the collective, becoming a spontaneous slogan of freedom and joy.
The oldest known manuscript dates from the mid-nineteenth century, and appears reproduced in the book The city and its music , The historian and musician José Antonio Calcaño.
At the request of President Antonio Guzmán Blanco, Eduardo Calcaño was commissioned to transcribe on paper what would be the first official version of the Venezuelan national anthem, a work he did without pretending to alter it or give him second expressions.
It achieved worldwide prestige quickly and immediately echoed in the Spanish ranks. In a document sent on July 4, 1810 by the Mayor of the Army and Royal Treasury in Venezuela to the supreme Ministry of Finance, the following is recorded:
"The most scandalous thing was that in the allegorical songs that composed and printed their independence, they invited all of Spanish America to make common cause, and to take the people of Caracas as a model to direct revolutions."
By 1840, the national anthem was known as"the Venezuelan Marseillaise."
References
- Glory to the brave people. Retrieved on January 27, 2018 from Wikipedia.org.
- Patriotic symbols. Retrieved on January 27, 2018 from Gobiernoenlinea.ve.
- National Symbols of Venezuela. Retrieved on January 27, 2018 from Notilogia.com