“Venezuela is the vanguard of colonial liberation,” says Breno Altman
In Caracas, a journalist analyzes the historical importance of Bolivarianism in national identity and its relationship with current Chavismo.
247 - In an interview with Bom Dia 247, broadcast live from Caracas, journalist Breno Altman stated that Venezuela occupies a unique role in the history of Latin America: being the "baptismal font" of colonial liberation. According to him, the legacy of Simón Bolívar and the struggles against Spanish rule still profoundly marks the collective consciousness of the country and explains part of the popular mobilization in the face of external threats.
“The anti-Spanish liberation movement was born in Venezuela. The great figure of the anti-colonial liberation of Hispanic America is a Venezuelan, Simón Bolívar. This permeates the consciousness that Venezuelans have of themselves,” Altman emphasized.
Bolívar and the formation of the nation
The journalist recalled that Bolívar's armies were formed mostly by the popular classes and even faced battles in which half of the combatants fell. Besides defeating the colonizers, the process brought significant social gains, such as the early abolition of slavery in the country. "It was the first time in South American history that the concept of nation met that of people," he explained, pointing out that this link became part of Venezuela's political and cultural identity.
Chavismo as historical continuity
In Altman's view, Chavismo rescued this Bolivarian legacy and transformed it into a guiding thread of contemporary politics. "Chavismo established itself as a thread of history between the battles led by Bolívar and the present day," he said. This connection, according to him, reinforces the perception that the country has a historical mission of leadership in the processes of Latin American resistance.
The journalist also highlighted that this political culture is unparalleled in the region, except in Cuba, where popular patriotism also plays a central role. In the Venezuelan case, the symbol of defending the homeland is not the national colors, but the Chavista red.
National pride and popular mobilization
Altman further observed that, even in the face of economic and political crises, the population maintains a high degree of confidence in the government and reacts in a mobilized manner to external threats. He cited as an example the entry of sectors critical of Chavismo into popular defense militias. “It’s my country,” said an official who previously criticized the government but decided to join a militia. “This reaction centered around the homeland is very strong, more intense than in Brazil,” Altman reported.
Venezuela as a regional reference point.
According to the journalist, the centrality of Bolivarianism in the country's political formation explains why Venezuela continues to see itself as a continental vanguard. "They were the vanguard of anti-colonial liberation. This is a very old source of national pride and remains alive," he concluded. Watch:
