Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro giving a speech in commemoration of the 204th anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo, in Caracas, June 25, 2025. Photo: Presidential Press.
The president of Venezuela and commander in chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB), Nicolás Maduro, has delivered a powerful message to the Venezuelan people for the commemoration of the 204th anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo and Bolivarian Army Day, remarking on the liberatory and sovereign nature of this historic feat.
The historical significance of Carabobo
“Carabobo is the point of no return in our tireless history,” the head of state said in an unusual prerecorded message, broadcast from the Military Academy of Venezuela in Caracas this Wednesday, June 25. “It is the moment when we stopped being a colony dominated by a foreign empire and dared to become a republic.”
The Venezuelan leader emphasized that this anniversary represents much more than just a date on the national calendar. He underscored how this battle marked the birth of Venezuela as a sovereign nation.
President Maduro recalled the contrast between Venezuela in 1810, which was just beginning its independence struggle, and Venezuela in 1821, which had managed to defeat the then-most powerful empire in the world.
An army of the people and for the people
President Maduro emphasized the grassroots nature of the Liberation Army, which, under the command of Liberator Simón Bolívar, achieved the victory of Carabobo against a militarily superior enemy. He highlighted how this armed force represented the true melting pot of Venezuelan identity.
“It wasn’t an aristocratic, oligarchic army: it was eminently popular, mixed-race, and liberatory,” said the president, who recalled key figures such as Pedro Camejo—a legendary black lieutenant in the Venezuelan liberatory army—and the other countless people who took part in this feat.
The president noted that the victory at Carabobo transcended the military to become an act of national unity and cultural affirmation, quoting Cuban hero José Martí: “Hernán Cortés died in Carabobo.”
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Validity of the Bolivarian legacy
President Maduro connected the historical significance of Carabobo with the current challenges facing Venezuela and the Patria Grande (Latin America), reaffirming the anti-imperialist principles that guide the country’s foreign policy.
“Carabobo is not just part of Venezuela: it belongs to all of our America, to the Latin American and Caribbean region,” said President Maduro, recalling Bolívar’s words about the triumph as Great Colombia’s victory of the arms.
The head of state finally reiterated the call to keep the Carabobo flame alive in the defense of national sovereignty and in the construction of the Great Homeland dreamed of by the Liberator.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
