FLAG OF VALENCIA (VENEZUELA): HISTORY AND MEANING - HISTORY - 2025

The flag of Venezuela (capital and most populated city of the Carabobo State), is one of the civic symbols of the town, along with the shield and the anthem. All three symbols were completely modified at the end of the first decade of this century. The current design was approved in 2009 under the authority of the Valencia Municipal Council under the leadership of Councilor Alexis López.

Among the symbols of the flag is the famous Carabobo Triumphal Arch, which represents both the state, the city and the Valencian people. According to reports and some civil authorities, these changes were highly rejected by a sector of the population of Valencia, who denounced the ignorance of the political administration of the roots and historical traditions of the region.

Likewise, there were pronouncements of displeasure due to the absence of certain traditional religious symbols in the current design, such as the Virgen del Socorro (patron saint of Valencia) or the goddess Tacarigua.

Meaning of the current flag of Valencia

The flag design contains three vertical stripes of the same width with the colors yellow, red and green arranged from left to right. In the central strip, the red one, is the coat of arms of the city of Valencia.

Yellow stripe

The numerical denomination in the Pantone color scale for yellow is 116c / 109c, and it symbolizes the great productive innovation of the city, famous for being the industrial city of Venezuela par excellence.

This yellow represents the wealth derived from the work and production of the companies, the effort, wisdom and perseverance of the entrepreneurs of the city of Valencia.

Red stripe

The Pantone identification number of the chromatic scale is 186c / 032c, and represents the blood that was shed by the indigenous Tacarigua natives in their resistance to the European colonization process.

It also represents the blood shed in the Campo de Carabobo by the patriotic army of Valencians.

Green stripe

It symbolizes the hope and the fertility of the cultivated fields typical of the soils in the areas near the city and its homonymous municipality. The number on the green pantone color scale is 2423cp.

Coat of arms of the city of Valencia

The coat of arms of the shield consists of an overcoat in the shape of a traditional banner and with three quarters.

The barracks on the left have the illustration of an Indian of the Tacarigua ethnic group next to the water's edge, representing Lake Valencia. This symbolizes the resistance of the indigenous people of this ethnic group during the colonization.

The right quarter shows the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Socorro, which is a cultural icon of the Valencians, whose patron saint is the Virgen del Socorro.

The barracks below shows the figure of San Juan Bautista de Borburata, who represents the union between Europeans, Africans and indigenous people during the conquest and colony.

The side supports of the shield show a set of crop plants that are tied at the bottom with a red ribbon. The ribbon forms a single central border with an inscription that says “Valencia, a free town”.

Behind the shield are two additional supports: an indigenous spear and Bolívar's sword, arranged in a crossed manner. The spear is adorned with Guacamaya feathers, honoring and paying homage to the Tacarigua chief, the Guacamayo Indian.

The shield on its bell is crowned by the Arch of Carabobo surrounded by a crown of laurels, an icon of victory and independence typical of the state and the city of Valencia.

Meaning of the previous flag

The first official flag of the city of Valencia was established in 1992 and showed a design and symbols very different from the current one. It contained three vertical stripes; a yellow central one occupying 2/4 of the length and two scarlet red ones of equal size on each side, but less wide.

In the yellow stripe was the previous coat of arms of the city. In the upper left corner of the flag and in the red stripe were two small shields of French crest design; one superimposed on the other and a few centimeters higher.

One of the shields showed the Virgin of Nuestra Señora del Socorro, patron saint of the city and of the archdiocese of Valencia. This symbolized the religiosity and faith of the Valencian people.

The other small shield showed a facade of colonial architecture that represented La Casa de la Estrella, where the first constitution of Venezuela was signed and then the separation with Gran Colombia.

This flag was designed by artist Pedro Gramcko.

Colors

Despite resembling the flag of Spain, yellow represented the radiant brightness of the Sun that illuminated the victory and definitive independence of Venezuela in the famous Battle of Carabobo, on June 24, 1821.

The red of the lateral stripes symbolizes the blood shed by the Valencian patriots in the city of Valencia in March and July 1814.

The previous shield of Valencia

The old coat of arms had two quarters in its blazon; the upper one with a blue background and the lower one with a white background.

He was accompanied by a double-headed eagle, behind the coat of arms, spreading its wings on each side in the position of the lateral supports, leaving their heads on the bell looking one on each side. On these was a crown that represented the reign of Spain.

On each side of the blazon and above the wings, there were two columns with the inscriptions Plus and Ultra. They represented the columns of Hercules in the Strait of Gibraltar. The eagle's legs grasped each column.

Surrounding the columns was the cord of the Golden Fleece, in a half moon culminating below and in the center along with the eagle's tail feathers.

The upper quarter of the blazon, in blue, showed the episode of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, with the Archangel on the left. The barracks below showed San Juan Bautista de Borburata, who represented the beliefs of the first settlers of Valencia.

References

1. Zoltán Horváth (2014). Valencia (Carabobo, Venezuela). FOTW - Flahs of the World Web Site. Recovered from crwflags.com
2. Pantone color database searcher. Pantone website. X-Rite. Recovered from pantone.com
3. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Partial Reform of the Ordinance of the Symbols of the City of Valencia. Municipal Gazette of Valencia - Mayor of Valencia. Recovered from alcaldiadevalencia.gob.ve