Venezuelan cadets alongside high-ranked officials paying tribute to the Liberator Simón Bolívar in the National Pantheon in Caracas on June 24, 2026. Photo: IG/@minjusticia_ve.
A Venezuelan high level cabinet delegation and the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) has paid tribute to the heroes of the homeland with a solemn ceremony at the National Pantheon in Caracas, in commemoration of the 205th anniversary of the patriotic feat of Carabobo and Bolivarian Army Day.
Venezuelan authorities led the traditional raising of the national flag this Wednesday, June 24, and placed a floral offering before the sarcophagus of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, extolling the military action of June 24, 1821, that definitively sealed the country’s independence from Spanish colonial rule in the early 19th century.
The institutional ceremony was attended by Public Works Minister Juan José Ramírez, Culture Minister Raúl Cazal, and Penitentiary Minister Julio García Zerpa.
During the tribute at the Mausoleum, cadets from the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela displayed the national flag as a symbol of sovereignty and defense of freedom, where Sports Minister Franklin Cardillo and Science and Technology Minister Gabriela Jiménez were also in attendance.
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The historical significance of Carabobo
The official commemoration recalled the significance of the historic battle in which the Venezuelan patriotic army, composed of 6,500 soldiers under the strategic command of Simón Bolívar, consolidated the liberation of Venezuelan territories after defeating the royalist forces led by Spain’s General Miguel de la Torre.
The Venezuelan officials emphasized that commemorating this military milestone not only pays tribute to the founding of the Republic but also reaffirms the ideals of self-determination held by the members of the Bolivarian Army.
Precisely self-determination, sovereignty, and independence are terms many Venezuelans have been struggling with strongly after the US empire’s invasion of Venezuela on January 3, in which they kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and murdered more than 100 people, including 32 Cuban and 47 Venezuelan soldiers.
Analysts note that since January 3, humiliation and feelings of self-doubt have been on the rise among many Venezuelans, particularly among those who cherished the values of sovereignty and independence promoted and upheld for so long by the Bolivarian Revolution.
This contrast between celebrating a decisive historical victory over European colonialism and confronting the reality of a recent foreign incursion has created a complex political and psychological landscape for the population. For the revolutionary grassroots, honoring the ancestral army that expelled an empire now coexists with the painful awareness of a violated territory and an abducted leader.
As a result, this anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo has transformed from a traditional patriotic tribute into a poignant reminder that the struggle for definitive sovereignty is not merely a historical event, but an ongoing, defensive necessity against modern imperialist actions.
(Últimas Noticias) by Olys Guarate with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
