''Dios y Federación'' ( en, God and Federation) is considered the traditional

state motto Most of the United States' 50 states have a state motto, as do the District of Columbia and 3 of its territories. A motto is a phrase intended to formally describe the general motivation or intention of an organization. State mottos ca ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. It was first used as the rallying cry of the rebel forces during the

Federal War The Federal War ( es, Guerra Federal) — also known as the Great War or the Five Year War — was a civil war (1859–1863) in Venezuela between the Conservative party and the Liberal party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over govern ...

, and it was subsequently incorporated into the country's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

after the conflict ended in 1863.

History

According to an account by historian

José Gil Fortoul José Gil Fortoul (25 November 1861, in Barquisimeto, Lara – 15 June 1943, in Caracas) was a Venezuelan writer, historian, and politician, who was briefly the acting president of Venezuela. As a political scientist and legal scholar, he is cl ...

, two French adventurers who had joined the forces of General

Ezequiel Zamora Ezequiel Zamora (; 1 February 1817 – 10 January 1860) was a Venezuelan soldier, and leader of the Federalists in the Federal War ''(Guerra Federal)'' of 1859–1863. Biography Zamora was born in Cúa, Miranda State. His parents were Alej ...

near Barinas initially suggested that the customary ''...your humble servant''

valediction A valediction (derivation from Latin ''vale dicere'', "to say farewell"), or complimentary close in American English, is an expression used to say farewell, especially a word or phrase used to end a letter or message,Liberté, égalité, fraternité ''Liberté, égalité, fraternité'' (), French for "liberty, equality, fraternity", is the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti, and is an example of a tripartite motto. Although it finds its origins in the French Revolution, i ...

'', which was finally modified to ''Dios y Federación''. The phrase subsequently became emblematic of the rebel movement. After the signing of the

Treaty of Coche The Treaty of Coche was an agreement that formally established the end of the Federal War in Venezuela. The name of the treaty originates from the fact that it was made at the estate of Coche, in that period very close to Caracas, and today par ...

in April 1863 and the establishment of the new government by the victorious rebels, General

Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.First Republic of Venezuela The First Republic of Venezuela ( es, Primera República de Venezuela) was the first independent government of Venezuela, lasting from 5 July 1811, to 25 July 1812. The period of the First Republic began with the overthrow of the Spanish colonial ...

Later use

Although without legal basis, the phrase has been traditionally considered the country's motto, even after it was officially abandoned. Today, its significance is more political than historical, since for many people in Venezuela it represents the desire to see a return to the decentralized federal system, away from the centralist and authoritarian regimes of recent years. The motto is still featured in the coat of arms of the state of Barinas. It was part of the state flag of

Falcón ) , anthem = , image_map = Falcon in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_alt = , pushpin_mapsiz ...

until 2006, and it is still used in official documents by the Judicial branch of Venezuela. ''Dios y Federación'' was also used occasionally in official communications by the government of Alta California in the 1820s.Hittel, p. 106

References

Bibliography

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dios y Federacion National mottos Political catchphrases History of Venezuela

History

Later use

See also

References

Bibliography