The current

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 ...

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 ...

was primarily approved by the Congress on April 18, 1836, undergoing small modifications through history, reaching the present version. The coat of arms was established in the Law of the National Flag, Shield and Anthem (''Ley de Bandera, Escudo e Himno Nacionales''), passed on February 17, 1954, by the military governor of Venezuela,

Marcos Pérez Jiménez Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (25 April 1914 – 20 September 2001) was a Venezuelan military and general officer of the Army of Venezuela and the dictator of Venezuela from 1950 to 1958, ruling as member of the military junta from 19 ...

. The shield is divided in the colors of the national flag. In the dexter chief, on a red field,

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

represents the union of the 20 states of the Republic existing at the time and the

wealth Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an I ...

of the

nation A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective Identity (social science), identity of a group of people unde ...

. In sinister chief, on a yellow field,

weapons A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

(a sword, a

sabre A sabre ( French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...

and three lances) and two national flags are tied by a branch of

laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

, as a symbol of

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

in war. In base, on a deep blue field, a wild white

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

(representing Simón Bolívar's white horse ''Palomo'') runs free, an emblem of

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

and freedom. Above the shield are two crossed

cornucopia In classical antiquity, the cornucopia (), from Latin ''cornu'' (horn) and ''copia'' (abundance), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers ...

s (horns of plenty), pouring out wealth. The shield is flanked by an

olive branch The olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory associated with customs of ancient Greece and connected with supplication to gods and persons in power. It is found in most cultures of the Mediterranean basin and became associated with peace ...

and another of

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

, both tied at the bottom of the coat with a large band that represents the national tricolour (yellow for the nation's wealth, blue for the

ocean The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...

separating Venezuela from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, and red for the blood and courage of the people). The following captions appear in golden letters on the blue stripe:

2006 changes

On March 7, 2006, the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

approved changes to the coat of arms and the

flag of Venezuela The current eight stars flag of Venezuela was introduced in 2006. The basic design includes a horizontal tricolour of yellow, blue, and red, dating to the original flag introduced in 1811, in the Venezuelan War of Independence. Further modificat ...

, which were made official on March 12, 2006, coinciding with Flag Day. Prior to 2006, the horse was running to the sinister side of the shield with its head turned to the dexter (to the viewer, this appears as the horse galloping towards his right and looking back to the left). In heraldic practice, animals and beasts are to appear facing to the dexter, which is considered the natural and honorable position. ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...

'' observed that Hugo Chávez ordered the seal changed after his daughter, Rosinés Chávez Rodríguez, had described the previous horse as “looking backwards”. Government supporters state, however, that even if the president's daughter was the one who sparked the discussion, both the legislative and executive branch agreed to changes. These were adding a machete to represent the peasant fighters during the revolutionary wars in Venezuela since the War of Independence, and a bow and arrow as a tribute to the brave indigenous population who resisted the Spanish conquistadors. Many critics have suggested that the horse, now running to the dexter (to the viewer's left) is a political statement of the current left-wing government of President Hugo Chávez. Previously in the Venezuelan arms adopted in 1863, the horse was moving as it is seen today, to the dexter (the viewer's left). Also to note is that in heraldry, positions are not described from the viewer's point of view, but rather the shield's, so while the horse appears to be galloping left to one observing the arms, the horse is actually galloping to the dexter, or right, side of the shield. This symbolizes Venezuela as the first of the independent states of South America, and Simon Bolivar's campaigns of liberation for all of Latin America, which started here in 1811 (with Venezuela's Declaration of Independence and the earlier Caracas Junta of 1810) and ended with his final victory in the

Battle of Ayacucho The Battle of Ayacucho ( es, Batalla de Ayacucho, ) was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. This battle secured the independence of Peru and ensured independence for the rest of South America. In Peru it is co ...

on December 9, 1824, all the while riding his white horse Palomo. Political opponents have also claimed that in addition to being politically motivated, the changes were economically wasteful. At the time of the official unveiling, the opposition party stated that they will not use the new flag or coat of arms, but retain the old and employ them in demonstrations against the government. However, by 2008, and with a slightly improved political climate, the new coat of arms and flag have been generally accepted among the population and opposition. Heraldist Fabio Cassani Pironti, commissioned by the National Assembly, made the reform of the National coats of arms.El Nacional, 12/03/2006.

Evolution of the state coat of arms

Notes

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

descriptions '' dexter'' means to the ''right'' from the viewpoint of the bearer of the shield, i.e. the viewer's left; ''sinister'' means ''left'' from the viewpoint of the bearer of the shield, i.e. the viewer's right.

References

External links

*
Ley de Bandera, Escudo e Himno Nacionales
- Law of the National Flag, Coat of Arms and Anthem. *

- The eighth star of Bolivar. {{DEFAULTSORT:Coat Of Arms Of Venezuela National symbols of Venezuela

2006 changes

Evolution of the state coat of arms

Notes

See also

References

External links