The Liberator

June 24th is a national holiday in Venezuela. This day in 1821 independence army led by Simon Bolivar defeated Spanish Royalist forces in a battle at Carabobo, opening gate of independence for future nations of Venezuelans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Peruvians and Bolivians.

Even today Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolivar y Palacios Ponte Blanco, also known as "The Liberator" is almost considered saint, and his statue is present at the main square of every single town of Venezuela, always called "Plaza Bolivar". Symbolism of the independence war is at present widely used by Chavez and his propaganda in form of fighting against so called "western imperialism". Bolivar has became an icon of the Chavista revolution. So besides the thousands of town squares named Bolivar, authorities of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela use name Bolivar for averything possible from geographical names such as State of Bolivar, City of Bolivar, or Peak of Bolivar, through many official projects like venezuelan satellite - Simon Boliva, to finish with Venezuelan currency which is of course Bolivar (BF).

Despite or maybe due to the overwhelming amount of Simon Bolivar in everyday life, ordinary Venezuelans don't seem to be too concerned with the country and its hero's past. The official celebration of the holiday in merida, which last part I accidently witnessed didn't gather many spectators, and almost went unnoticed. This can lead to a question of the level of affiliation of a Venezuelans with their own state and heritage.