The shield of Soledad, a municipality on the north coast of Colombia, summarizes the importance of the struggle of its inhabitants during the wars of independence from the Spanish crown.
A large cement pillar is the center of the shield and its size symbolizes the strength, determination and drive of its population since the municipality became a center of military operations for the patriot army.
The liberator Simón Bolívar visited the municipality of Soledad three times, from where he directed his campaigns.
The third trip was a few days before his death, from there he left for the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino in the city of Santa Marta.
You may also be interested in the flag of Soledad.
History
The Soledad shield has a large white pillar representing a land that served as support for the great structure of the independence of the Spanish crown.
In the year 1,598 the new Spanish encomenderos, together with some indigenous people, created a pig farm that they called Porquera de San Antonio, in the area where the municipality of Soledad is currently located.
The subsequent years saw more and more Spaniards come to live in the place and thus began to develop in its urban aspect.
In the year 1743 the municipality was granted the category of parish and the name of Villa de Soledad was received.
Due to its strategic location, thanks to the passage of the Magdalena River, which connects the interior of the country with the Atlantic, it developed as a commercial center at the same time as the city of Barranquilla.
During the independence struggles it became an obligatory stop on the routes to Cartagena, Barranquilla or Santa Marta and the liberator Simón Bolívar preferred it as the center of operations and headquarters of the patriots, due to its strategic location.
Meaning
The perception that the liberator Simón Bolívar had about the municipality is reflected in each of the elements that make up the Soledad shield.
The internal colors green and blue symbolize the hope that the patriots gave thanks to independence, and the Magdalena River, a fundamental route for the transfer of troops, weapons and food.
In white simulating three elements that convey the achievement of peace are drawn and in the same color we find a large cement pillar that signifies the base of the entire military and political structure that supported the liberation of the territories to the north of Colombia.
The words "in constancy, in the defense of American independence" rest on the white pillar, because the municipality not only supported the independence cause, but remained for a long time as a political center that sought agreement among patriots for the proper direction of the homeland.
From the white pillar branches are detached with cayenne, a type of flower very common in the area, representing the color of nature thanks to the enormous diversity.
Finally, the entire representation is framed in dark yellow with the words "Coat of Arms of the Villa de Soledad."
References
- Blanco Arboleda, D. (2009). From melancholic to rumberos… From the Andes to the coast. Colombian identity and Caribbean music. Anthropology Bulletin Universidad de Antioquia, 23 (40).
- Bermúdez, AT (2013). Monuments speak in Barranquilla. Northern University.
- Sánchez, F., & Núñez, J. (2000). Geography and economic development in Colombia: a municipal approach. Latin American Research Network. Working paper, (408).
- Triana, RE (2015). Geopolitical Interests of Colombia. Studies in Security and Defense, 10 (19), 71-86.
- Lotero, J., Posada, HM, & Valderrama, D. (2009). The Competitiveness of Colombian Departments: An Analysis from the Economic Geography Perspective. Lecturas de Economía, (71), 107-139.