Venezuelan Culture: A Fusion of Traditions and Modernity

Venezuelan Culture: A Blend of Influences

Venezuelan culture is a rich tapestry woven from Indigenous, African, and Spanish threads. The first two were diverse, varying by tribe. Acculturation and assimilation led to a unique Venezuelan identity, similar to Latin America but with distinct differences. Indigenous influence is mainly seen in vocabulary and gastronomy, while African heritage is evident in music, particularly drum-based rhythms. The Spanish colonial era left a significant mark, especially from Andalusia and Extremadura, influencing architecture, music, religion, language, bullfighting, and cuisine.

19th Century and Beyond: Evolving Traditions

In the 19th century, Venezuela embraced further cultural currents from both Indigenous and European sources, notably France. Later, major cities experienced a surge of U.S. influence due to the oil industry, along with new waves of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese immigrants, adding complexity to the cultural mosaic. U.S. influence is apparent in sports like baseball, film, art, and architecture.

This era marked Venezuela’s integration into the international market, bringing foreign capital and rapid modernization. Infrastructure developed with roads, railways, and water systems. Emblematic buildings like the Capitol in Caracas and the Teatro Municipal were erected. Legal reforms included commercial, criminal, military, and finance codes, along with civil marriage and compulsory primary education. Cities, especially Caracas, underwent rapid transformation, with new theaters, clubs, and evolving customs. Traditional values were challenged by new ideas and lifestyles, marking the beginning of a shift away from traditional backgrounds.

“These projects faced the reality of another historical process, as weighty as the political and military actions undertaken by the elite of the capital to make their presence felt in the new Republic of Venezuela. Spatially, the territory was not integrated; functionally, spaces articulated by agro-export economies co-existed, each with its economic sectors related more to the outside than to each other or with Caracas. Relatively autonomous provincial governments from the beginning were in favor of establishing a federal system: in a word, ‘HISTORICAL REGIONS’ ready to enforce its own process, and even able to resume and reach the Separatist threat.” (Urdaneta 1992:13).

Literary Reflections: The Novel ZARATE

The novel ZARATE can be interpreted as a counterpoint to late 19th-century urban modernization. It represents an ideological struggle for the social imaginary from a conservative perspective, promoting a traditional model of civilization and national identity rooted in colonial culture and lifestyles. ZARATE portrays two periods of Venezuelan history: the paecista period and the Guzmán Blanco era, using narrative as a form of concealment.

“Like Bustillón and Zarate, the narrator is transformed. In their attempt to restore the order of words and writing, things incorporate the feature that defines the other: the ability of concealment, the use of disguise” (Silva 1994: 417).

The novel presents a duality, proposing a national unity while acknowledging modernization. Guzmán Blanco’s era is depicted as both fiction and reality, representing a reconciliation of conflicting interests and the end of civil war.

“The domain of Guzmán Blanco represents the reconciliation of conflicting interests before and the end of the civil war that bloodied Venezuela over a long historical period. The Autocrat called Civilizing introduces a profound break with the past, since the influence of old rural leaders has gone” (Banko 1990: 197).

National Identity and Centralization

Antonio Guzman played a crucial role in centralizing power, strengthening the north-central regions, controlling regional warlords, and weakening regional elites. This process, lasting nearly half a century, led to the political integration of the country and the establishment of Caracas as the center of power.

“Once achieved these goals, it could carry out what should properly be called the Caracas project… almost half a century it took to become effective political integration of the country is an indicator of the complicated intricacies of which ran the Venezuelan historical process in the nineteenth century…” (Urdaneta 1992: 15).