Independence Day in Venezuela commemorates the day in 1811 when Venezuela became the first South American nation to formally declare independence from Spain, initiating a long and transformative struggle for sovereignty.

When is Independence Day?

Independence Day in Venezuela is celebrated every year on July 5.

The following is the list of Independence Day from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Independence Day?

For over 300 years, Venezuela was part of the Spanish Empire, ruled as the Captaincy General of Venezuela. Colonists faced economic exploitation, political exclusion, and cultural suppression.

By the early 19th century, the Napoleonic Wars destabilized Spain and inspired colonial resistance. The success of the American (1776) and French (1789) revolutions also fueled revolutionary thought in Latin America.

Venezuelan leaders in Caracas formed a local junta on April 19, 1810, ousting the Spanish governor Vicente Emparan. Though initially claiming to govern in the name of the deposed King Ferdinand VII, the move marked the start of Venezuela's break with Spain.

On July 5, 1811, 7 of the 10 provinces of Venezuela voted to declare absolute independence from Spain. The Acta de la Declaración de Independencia was signed in Caracas by the First National Constituent Congress.

Independence was not immediate, and a brutal war followed. Initial republics fell to royalist reconquest, but Bolívar and others rebuilt the movement. Victory at the Battle of Carabobo in 1821 and final liberation in 1823 solidified independence.