Last modified: 2021-08-26 by 
klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: miranda | guaicaipuro |
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image by Ivan Sache, 07 August 2011
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The municipality of Guaicaipuro (222,768 inhabitants in 2001; 661 sq. km),
located in the mountain region known as the Miranda Heights, is the westernmost
municipality in the Miranda State. The municipality is named for Cacique (native
chief) Guaicaipuro. Around 1550, the Spaniards, attracted by gold and mild
weather, invaded the Miranda Heights inhabited by the Teque Indians; Guaicaipuro
led the resistance of the natives, defeating several times the Spanish troops
and threatening the newly created town of Santiago de León de Caracas, until
killed in an ambush in 1568. The capital of the municipality is Los Teques.
Founded in 1777, it became in 1927 the capital of the Miranda State.
Ivan Sache, 07 August 2011
The flag of Guaicaipuro was adopted on 28 March 2009 when celebrating the
birthday of Generalissimo Francisco Miranda. Inspired by the first national flag
designed by Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda, the flag is divided into three
equal horizontal stripes The upper, red stripe represents the proud blood of the
Teque Indians, who inhabited the region and whose emblematic man is Guaicaipuro.
The median, yellow stripe represents gold as a sacred ore, a symbol of
fertility, life and agriculture. The lower, turquoise blue stripe represents the
impressive mountains surrounding the municipality, the cold water of the rivers,
and dew and mist at daybreak.
In the middle of the yellow stripe is a red emblem made of Cacique Guaicaipuro's
three-feathered headgear placed above a row of seven petroglyphs and surmounted
by the war cry of the Caribe Indians, "ANA KARINA ROTE" [We are just people],
wrapping around the headgear. The seven petroglyphs represent the seven parishes
forming the municipality: Los Teques, San Pedro, Paracotos, El Jarillo, Cecilio
Acosta, Tácata and Altagracia de la Montaña.
Source:
Website of the Office for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of the
Municipality of Guaicaipuro
The flag is shown on the official photo of the Mayor of Guaicaipuro, taken in
front of a portrait of Cacique Guaicaipuro and of the flag. (El
Alcalde)
In an interview published on 17 July 2011 in the local newspaper "La Región",
the Mayor of Guaicaipuro explains that the winners of the contest "Paint the
flag of the Municipality of Guaicaipuro", mistook the petroglyphs for stars.
Accordingly, the children were asked to paint a newer, more accurate,
copy of the flag, which was hoisted on 16 July 2011 in Los Teques during the
celebration of the Police Day.
A
photo taken on 12 July 2011 during the
ceremony of presentation of the flag shows the flag with seven stars
arranged in a horizontal row.
"La Prensa", 7 May 2011,
reports that the contest was won by Hebert Núñez, from the El Vigía School
and Greimar Guerrero, from the Jesús María Sifontes School.
The municipal website still shows another version of the flag for Guaiacaipuro,
with the stars arranged in an arched pattern, as on the (former) flag of
Venezuela. The text says, however, that they are arranged in a linear pattern
("en forma lineal"), therefore the image must be erroneous. Source:
http://www.alcaldiadeguaicaipuro.gob.ve/ > (ALCALDIA > Bandera)
Ivan Sache, 07 August 2011
Early version
image by Ivan Sache, 07 August 2011
Probably erroneous report
image by Ivan Sache, 07 August 2011
