The Validity of Angostura Statement by Simon Bolivar by Dr. Morella Barreto López, Chargé D’affairs A.I., The Embassy of The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Malaysia

Abstract

The Angostura Congress, inaugurated on February 15th, 1819 by the Liberator Simón Bolívar, in Angostura (today Ciudad Bolívar), represented the second Constituent Congress of the Republic of Venezuela. It was elaborated in the context of the war of independence of Venezuela and Independence of New Granada. On February 15th, 1819, six months before the Battle of Boyacá, 26 representatives of the 30 elected representatives met, representingthe Provinces of Caracas, Cumaná, Trujillo, Margarita, Barinas, Barcelona, Guayana ofVenezuela, and Casanare of Colombia. After the invasion of New Granada, advanced by Bolivar, the Liberator wanted delegates to be sent from this region. A short time later, Bolivar arranged for the region administered by Quito, still under Spanish rule, to be included in the union along with Venezuela and New Granada to form, between the three States, what is called the “Great Colombia”. The Congress was installed to formulate what, historically, has
been called the “Fundamental Law”; this is to say the Constitution.
Bolivar makes a sociological analysis of Venezuelans: pronounces itself against slavery and for the education of the people; defends democracy and its preference for centralism instead of federalism of the State; and raises the Moral Power to prevent administrative corruption.
“The most perfect system of government is that which produces the greatest possible amount of happiness, the greatest amount of social security and the greatest amount of political stability”, are Bolivar’s words. This presentation addresses the validity of the statement by Bolivar and its relevance to Venezuela 200 years later.

About the speaker

Born August 27 in 1953, Dr Morella Barreto is a Historian where she received her master’s degree from the Central University of Venezuela, Caracas and her PhD from the University of Barcelona in Spain (with concentration in History of America). Dr Barreto was the Director General of the Caracas Science Museum, and previously the President of the “Science Mission” attached to the Ministry of Science and Technology as well as a Professor in the Venezuelan School in Planning under the Ministry of Popular Power for Planning. Her vast experience includes hold positions such as Head of the Rómulo Gallegos Centre of Latin American Studies (CELARG), Researcher for National Academy of History, the Caracas National Library and also researcher for the National Council for Culture (CONAC) in the Documentation Centre of the Labour Movement of Venezuela. Complementing her
academic and professional accomplishments, Dr Barreto has also received trainings in ILPES-ECLAC (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia), National Academy of Public Officials, Anthropos University (Barcelona, Spain), Metropolitan University (Caracas), University College of Francisco de Miranda (Caracas) and University Babes Bolyai University (Cluj – Napoca, Romania). Currently, Dr Morella Barreto López is the Chargé D’affairs at the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Malaysia.

Bolívar in Martí and the Cuban Revolution
by H.E. Ibete Fernández Hernández, Ambassador, The Embassy of Cuba in Malaysia

Abstract

The course of civilizations has shown that revolutions have been carried out by great men. These, influenced by the political-cultural environment of their time and the threats that surrounded them, led to revolutionary awakenings that changed the scenario of their nations. Such is the case of Simón Bolívar and José Martí. The contemporary history of Latin America cannot be rewritten without returning to these two icons of independence and integration.
The Cuban Revolution had as its intellectual guide José Martí, the most universal of all Cubans who, despite their short but fruitful life (1853-1895), gave an unparalleled boost to the final stage of independence war initiated by the mambises, and that was what frustrated by the American intervention in Cuba in 1898. Was the Revolution triumphant? As Martí learned from the lessons of Simon Bolivar, Fidel Castro demonstrated the validity of the Martian precepts and its validity and concluded the work in 1959.
Despite having lived at different times, José Martí had a teacher in Bolívar. He was able to give continuity to his ideas and adapted his own to the circumstances that he had to live. In them, the ideals of Latin Americanism, national independence, fulfilment of social duty and the preservation of ethics are fused, without counting the preponderant role that both granted to education as a means of liberating people.
Although Bolívar and Martí made praiseworthy contributions to the independence of their
countries, the common dream of achieving integration as an instrument to stop the
domination of the powerful has been frustrated. It is still a pending task that will face those
who today have not let their ideas die.