''Dios y Federación'' () is considered the traditional
state motto of
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
. It was first used as the rallying cry of the rebel forces during the
Federal War
The Federal War () — also known as the Great War or the 5 Year War — was a civil war in Venezuela between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over government positions and land ownership, an ...
, and it was subsequently incorporated into the country's
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
after the conflict ended in 1863.
History
According to an account by historian
José Gil Fortoul, two
French adventurers who had joined the forces of General
Ezequiel Zamora near
Barinas initially suggested that the customary ''...your humble servant''
valediction
A valediction (Derivation (linguistics), derivation from Latin ''vale dicere'', "to say farewell"), parting phrase, or complimentary close in American English, is an expression used to say farewell, especially a word or phrase used to end a lett ...
in written communications be replaced with ''
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
(; French for , ), 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, it was then only one motto among others and was not institutio ...
'', 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 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 () 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 authorities and the establishment ...](_blank)
.
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
Falcón State (, ) is one of the 23 States of Venezuela, states of Venezuela. The state capital is Coro, Venezuela, Coro.
The state was named after Juan Crisóstomo Falcón.
History
Early history
Present day Falcón State was first explored ...
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
Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...
in the 1820s.
[Hittel, p. 106]
See also
*
History of Venezuela
References
Bibliography
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dios y Federacion
National mottos
Political catchphrases
Political history of Venezuela