The current coat of arms of Venezuela was primarily approved by the Congress on April 18, 1836, undergoing small modifications through history, reaching the version described below. (Note that in heraldic descriptions dexter means right from the viewpoint of a person standing behind the shield, i.e. the viewer's left; sinister means left, i.e. the viewer's right.)
Above the shield are two crossed cornucopias (horns of plenty), pouring out wealth. The shield is flanked by an olive branch and another of palm, both tied at the bottom of the coat with a large band that represents the national tricolour (yellow for the nation's wealth, blue for the ocean separating Venezuela from Spain, and red for the blood and courage of the people). The following captions appear in golden letters on the blue stripe:
In March 2006 the National Assembly approved changes to the coat of arms and the flag which were made official on March 12, 2006, Flag Day. Prior to 2006, the horse was running to its left with its head turned to its right. In heraldic theory this is a mistake because all "beasts" must face dexter (to their right or the viewer's left).citation neededThe Economist observed that Hugo Chávez ordered the seal changed after his daughter, Rosinés Chávez Rodríguez, had described the previous horse as "looking backwards".1 Government supporters state however, that even if the president's daughter was the one who sparked the discussion, both the legislative and executive branch agreed to add a new star fulfilling a decree signed by Simon Bolivar in 1817. Other changes include adding a machete as a symbol representing the peasant fighters during the revolutionary wars in Venezuela since the war of indepence. Also, a bow and an arrow was added as a retribution to the brave indigenous population who resisted the Spanish conquistadores.
Previously, in the Venezuelan Arms of 1863, the horse was moving as today, heraldically rightwards, leftwards for the viewer. [1]. Many critics have suggested that the horse, now running leftwards, is a political statement of the current left-wing government of president Hugo Chávez. From a strict heraldic viewpoint, the horse was moving leftwards before it was changed, and now runs rightwards.
Political opponents have also claimed that besides being politically motivated, the changes were economically wasteful. [2] At the time of the official unveiling the opposition party stated that they will not use the new flag or coat of arms, and during demonstrations against the government, they still used the old flag as a symbol of resistance. As of 2008, and with an improved political climate, most people have started to use the new symbols.
References
^ The Economist, "Freedom to Agree", February 24, 2007
.svg){kind=small}
