In the framework of the commemoration of the 215th anniversary of the Proclamation of Venezuela’s Independence, the Minister of People’s Power for Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, extolled the historic feat of April 19, 1810.
He also reiterated the commitment and unwavering unity of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) to the sovereignty and dignity of the country.
In his statement, the minister recalled that April 19, 1810, marked a significant event in the struggle for Independence, when the people of Caracas rose up in a collective act of insurrection against the colonial yoke, challenging the authority of Captain General Vicente Emparan:
“April 19, 1810! 215 years ago, this indomitable people proclaimed their resolve to be independent. Independence or nothing!” he asserted.
He clarified that this act not only laid the foundations for the First Republic, but also initiated a path toward freedom and national self-determination.
Padrino López emphasized that what happened in Caracas’s (then) Plaza Mayor is much more than a simple act of rebellion; it represented a declaration of political capacity where slaves, Indigenous people, Creoles, and mestizos united in a clamor for emancipation.
“This historic event constituted the seed of the First Republic, symbolizing the awakening of a national identity,” he affirmed.
In that vein, the defense minister called for national awareness by warning about the current threats facing the country, describing them as a “hybrid and multifaceted war, vestiges of recycled imperialism” that seeks to destabilize the unity of the Venezuelan people.
Given this situation, he reiterated that the FANB, in close collaboration with the people and the police forces, keeps the flame of patriotism and resistance alive.