6. El CaudillismoIn 1830
Jose Antonio Paez assumed his first presidency. This period was the prelude of the so-called "Caudillismo", featuring a series of changes in power from one commander to another which engendered the civil war (1859-1863), between centralists (conservatives) and federalists (liberals) being won by the latter.Among the winning leaders emerged the new Venezuelan ruler Antonio Guzman Blanco. In his period many public buildings and monuments (The Capitol, Bolivar Square, The Municipal Theatre, The National Pantheon) were built and the communicational infrastructure (Caracas-Valencia road, Ports of La Guaira and Puerto Cabello, first railroad system) was improved. His successor Cipriano Castro came to power on October 22nd 1899 by a coup and after modifying the constitution (1904) became president for the period 1904-1911, designating Juan Vicente Gomez his "compadre" as vice-president.
In 1908 while Castro was in Paris, Gomez overthrew him becoming the most powerful, personal and absolute "caudillo" in Venezuelan history. The main aspects of Gomez administration were the clearance of the public economy, the creation of the military school and the beginning of the oil exploitation. This dictatorship, which lasted until Gomez death, was both the climax and the epilogue of the "caudillismo" age.
7. Transition to democracy
After the Gomez death, General Eleazar Lopez Contreras, who had been his War and Naval Minister, took over and began the transition towards democracy. Contreras remained in charge until 1941. On April 28th, 1941 the National Congress elected General Isaias Medina Angarita as president for the next period. His government promoted fundamental changes in political, social and economical structure. Being a democrat by nature, he ruled with totally open political criteria. Unfortunately, on October 18th, 1945 this mature, prudent and intelligent transition was to be brusquely interrupted by a coup planned by a newly formed political party and a group of young military.
This coup caused serious disarrangements and stumbles to the raising democracy. It
brought back the violence, pugnacity and conspiracy; political imprisonment and exile, which had been abolished during Lopez and Medina governments, were back and the atmosphere of social and political uprightness vanished away. A quick glance at the events that followed can easily show the fragility and instability of the new regimen.Beginning with Romulo Gallegos who won the 1948 elections summoned by the Governing Council (Junta de Gobierno), a series of overthrows and their typical "juntas" ended in the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez who ruled the country from 1952 until 1958.
8. Democracy
After the fall of Perez Jimenez, Venezuela resumed its pursuit for Democracy and on December 7th 1958, the Governing Council carried out free elections won by the social democrat Romulo Betancourt whose ruling elapsed amid a tumultuous and violent climate under the ever-present threat of communist guerrillas.His fellow party Raul Leoni, winner for the following presidential period, started the pacification of the guerrillas, which was successfully consolidated by next president the Christian democrat Rafael Caldera.
5. The Independence
Between 1810 and 1823, a series of events occurred that ended up in the consolidation of Venezuela as an independent state. The Spanish political situation arose when Jose Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother) overthrew Fernando VII, was taken by the "criollo" elite as an excuse to remove the Governor and General Captain Vicente Emparan. The Venezuelan independence had begun.On 
July 5th, 1811 the member of the Patriotic Society managed to drive almost the total congress to proclaim the absolute Venezuelan independence. Here lies the foundation of the Venezuelan State.Among the officers who had to leave the country when Monteverde took over was Simon Bolivar, a young Venezuelan aristocrat born in Caracas on July 24th 1783 who later would become "Bolivar El Libertador" and who under the guidance of his tutor Simon Rodriguez had been exposed to the most revolutionary contemporary ideas.
Bolivar toured the European courts, where he consolidated his political paradigm and swore to commit his life to free his country from the Spanish bondage.After being defeated by Monteverde, Bolivar took refuge in Cartagena, where he wrote his famous "Manifiesto" and began to achieve merits as a great statesman and strategist. The government of Nueva Granada supported him with material and human resources and thus began the "Campaña Admirable". (See the graphic). This campaign ended on August 7th, 1813 when Bolivar triumphantly entered Caracas.
However, this young Second Republic ended abruptly with the appearance of Jose Tomas Boves and his powerful troop. Boves, well known for his cruelty, provoked a stampede of Caracas population towards the Eastern regions. It is said that more people died in this escape than in the 1812 earthquake.Fortunately, Boves terrifying campaign lasted less than a year, but left behind a horrible track of blood and slaughter. However the hardest and most painful period of the Venezuelan independence was yet to come.Spain, once got over the French invasion with Fernando VII back in his throne, took all necessary steps to recover its lost colonies, and for the first time sent a highly organized army with an European military structure, which made an easy prey of the altogether economically, physically and morally destroyed Venezuela. 
Pablo Morillo, the General Commander of these numerous and well equipped troops, took over the Spanish colonies and committed to pacify and reestablish the order throughout the recovered territories. Morillo knew Bolivar was away in Las Antillas and only small fighting patriotic groups were left, which he considered no cause for worries. He might have thought the war was over, and his main task then was to rebuild the "pacified" country. History proved him wrong.Six years of cruel and pitiless fight were to follow. Venezuelans were determined to conquer their freedom once and for all, no matter what they had to go through. A series of battles with no definite winner followed and it was not until June 24th 1821 when the round victory of Bolivar and his troops over the Spaniards that Venezuelan independence consolidated.
The battle of Maracaibo (July 24th 1823) won by Admiral Padilla, and the seizure 
of Puerto Cabello Fort (November 8th 1823) by Jose Antonio Paez, concluded the Independence period and finally set Venezuela an entirely Venezuela an entirely independent country.The following years witnessed a long series of internal fights over power and ideological trends, which finally ended up with the extinction of the continental union, which was Bolivar greatest dream.By the year 1830, with Bolivar and Sucre deaths, Venezuela withdrawal from the "Gran Colombia", and the new constitution, the independence period came to an end.
3. The Conquest
The Conquest, which lasted until half the XVII century was bound to be the next episode. Two main objectives drove the Spaniards to conquer the world they had just discovered. One of religious nature was to evangelize the aborigines. The other one of mercantile character, was the exploitation of gold, silver, pearls, precious stones and many other similar resources they had found in the new continent.Ancient shield of the city of Caracas. Caracas, today Venezuela's capital was founded in 1567 by Diego de Losada after subduing the brave and fearless tribes of the region, commanded by their courageous "caciques" (chiefs) as Guaicaipuro, Naiguata, Tamanaco.They heroically defended their people, natural habitat and the right to live in their homeland according to the laws and believe they had inherited through ages from their ancestors. They fought daringly against the invaders that not only outnumbered them but were equipped with far more sophisticated weapons.
4. The Colony
Contrary to Mexico and Peru, which produced huge amounts of silver and gold, Venezuela's production was cocoa, which by the time was economically irrelevant to the Spanish Crown. This fact made the six provinces (Venezuela, Cumana, Merida, Guayana, Margarita and Trinidad) politically dependable, first on the Viceroy-ship of Santo Domingo and later on the Viceroy-ship of Santa Fe de Bogotá.Since 1620 onwards cocoa became the main Venezuelan product and remained so for the next two centuries, attracting a great number of Spanish immigrants, particularly from the Canary Islands.As the need of laborers increased, slaves from Africa began to be brought.
They not only became the main factor in the development of cocoa, sugar, cotton, coffee and tobacco farming but, also a very important social one as their traditions, myths, songs and rhythms would become a relevant and ever present ingredient in the Venezuelan culture.To regulate and control the whole trading of this flourishing agricultural commerce the Spanish Crown created the "Real Compañia Guipuzcoana de Caracas".
Its intervention in the economic and political scene caused unease in all sector of the population, thus engendering the propitious atmosphere for the early independence movement.Francisco de Miranda led the most significant pre-independence movement. Miranda, who has served in the Spanish army, participated in the independence war of the United States and actively fought in the French Revolution, believed that Venezuelan and American independence would be achieved amid the political game of the dominating European nations (England, France, Spain) together with the support of the United States. However all his attempts to start the independence process found no echo among the Venezuelans. Altogether defeated Miranda quit the scene and left for England.
1. Before the Discovery - 1498
The first Venezuelans are traced back to 6,000 to 13,000 BC. These originals settlers proceeded from three different directions, East (today Guyanas), South (today Brazil) and North (today Antillas). Their different cultural and religious background gave birth to a diversity of tribes. Some were farmers, hunters and fishers, others developed a more complex agricultural system, such was the case of the Andean region; another group the Caribbean, who were highly aggressive and combative went into sailing activities. They developed different housing systems to suit their necessities according to climate and ways of life.From these ancient Venezuelans we inherited a precious legacy which is still alive in our present culture, people and places names such as Tibisay, Tisbeth, Charaima, Caracas, Los Teques, etc. foods like arepa, hallaca, aji, casabe, and many more. There is no self respecting Venezuelan who does not dream of a "Caney" in his backyard.
2. The Discovery - 1498 
Totally unaware of the magnitude of the event, Christopher Columbus and his Spanish crew actually stepped on continental land for the first time on August 2nd 1498 at the mouth of the Orinoco River, (today Venezuelan territory); in fact he believed he had arrived to the Asian Coast. Columbus two previous trips had been to the Caribbean islands of Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico.Later, he headed to Santo Domingo, passing by the Gulf of Paria and sailing along the Venezuelan Coast, bordering Margarita Island, where he saw pearls for the first time.
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.
The coat of arms was established in the Law of the National Flag, Shield and Anthem (Ley de Bandera, Escudo e Himno Nacionales), passed on February 17, 1954. The shield is divided in the colors of the National Flag. In the dexter chief, on a red field, wheat represents the union of the 20 States of the Republic existing at the time and the wealth of the Nation. In sinister chief, on a yellow field, weapons (a sword, a sabre and three lances) and two National Flags are tied by a branch of laurel, as a symbol of triumph in war. In base, on a deep blue field, a wild white horse (perhaps representing Simón Bolívar's white horse Palomo) runs free, an emblem of independence and freedom.
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).
In March of 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 theory this is a mistake in heraldry because all "beasts" must face dexter (to their right or the viewer's left).
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 claimed that besides being politically motivated, the changes are economically wasteful. At the time of the official unveiling the opposition party stated that they will not use the new flag or coat of arms.
Previously, in the Venezuelan Arms of 1863, the horse was moving as today, heraldically rightwards, leftwards for the viewer.
An Afro-Venezuelan machete, bow and arrow, and several native fruits will also be added to the coat of arms
brought back the violence, pugnacity and conspiracy; political imprisonment and exile, which had been abolished during Lopez and Medina governments, were back and the atmosphere of social and political uprightness vanished away. A quick glance at the events that followed can easily show the fragility and instability of the new regimen.Beginning with Romulo Gallegos who won the 1948 elections summoned by the Governing Council (Junta de Gobierno), a series of overthrows and their typical "juntas" ended in the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez who ruled the country from 1952 until 1958.
