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Venezuela celebrates Flag Day
with new national flag
The Venezuelan government
celebrated Flag Day on Sunday
with a new national flag, which
has eight stars instead of seven
in the central blue stripe,
representing the eight states
which came together to form the
nation in the 19th century.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
began the day with the
ceremonial laying of a floral
wreath on the grave of Simon
Bolivar, the Caracas-born
liberator who set free much of
Latin America from the Spanish
rule.
Another important ceremony was a
parade of military forces and
civilians which began at 11:10
a.m. (1510 GMT). The parade was
filled with Venezuelan flags,
and many Chavez supporters wore
red as a sign of their support
for the government.
Apart from the addition of a
star, the new law, approved by
Venezuelan legislators on March
7, also changed the national
coat of arms to show a horse,
previously galloping right
looking left, to gallop left
without a twisted neck, as well
as added symbols representing
Venezuela's indigenous people
and Venezuelans of African
descent.
It also added the name "The
Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela" to one of the scrolls
on the coat of arms.
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