Venezuela - Political Flags - Part 1

Last modified: 2005-04-23 by dov gutterman
Keywords: venezuela |
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• Overview
• Acción Democrática
• Confederacion de Trabajadores de Venezuela (CTV) - Workers' Confederation of Venezuela
• COPEI - Comité de Organizacion Politico Electoral Independiente - Independent Electoral Politic Organization Commitee
• Fuerza Bolivariana de Trabajadores - Bolivarian Worker's Force
• Movimiento Revolucionario Tupamaro
• MVR - Movimiento Quinta República- Fifth Republic Movement
• Partido Comunista de Venezuela - Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV)
• UNION para el Progreso - UNION for the Progress
• Part 2

See also:

• Venezuela

Overview

No party is allowed to use, among its symbols, theVenezuelan Flag or its colours (in any arranged order), the name of Simon Bolivar and the Coat of arms. At party rallies, candidate podiums and so on, it is alowed to use all of these (but it carries certain controversy). Parties rarely wave flags, beyond some rags with their colours (very rarelywith their logos on it), although I have seen a Communist Party Flag at somerallies. A flag with eight stars (as Bolivar's model in 1817 and 1819) has been flown at the current party in power (Fifth Republic Movement) rallies.But they are alligned in various positions, and move around the flag from one rally to another
Guillermo Aveledo, 24 September 1999

As part of the murky restlessness my country is getting used to , yet another Military officer is making political remarks: this time, Colonel (Air Force) Silvino Bustillos remarked in a press conference at the National Lectoral Council's free press room thet President (retired Lt. Colonel) Hugo Chavez, was, among some other nfr things, breaking the National Symbols Law, whichs bans the usage of the anthem, flag and Coat of Arms by political parties or factiones, or any politically interested group.
An hard-to-enforce law as it may be, this was already noted by me last year on this very list. President Chavez, both as a candidate and as a president-candidate (a first in Venezuela, when reelection was just instituted by the 1999 Constitution) has repeatedly used both the national flag (state and civil) and the anthem on political meetings and rallies.
Quite conscientously or not, the use of national symbols is forbidden in such activities (and no other candidate ever has used these colours).
Guillermo Aveledo, 17 July 2000

It isn't possible make a complete count of the Venezuelan politicas flags without happening through history. Specially considering the recent changes in the Venezuelan politics. For that reason, I've elaborated three historical periods, following the reigns bibliography about  Venezuelan political parties:

1) Political Flags during the formation of the National State (1830-1930s): Although images are few, almost null, the bibliographical information and the tracks me be useful. One treats, fundamentally, about flags of military commaders, leaders and pseudo-parties ("the historic" oligarchy parties), etc. On this stage the politics is nongiven for free partisan competition, with periods in which the politic fight was essentially belic, or was completely suppressed.