WE COME FROM THIS TRADITION

 

WE COME FROM THIS TRADITION

by Salvador Montoya/Writer

to my son Mathías

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I come from an universal tradition of my home town. This tradition is rooted in María de los Ángeles, an indigenous sister, a cacique woman, who faced the spanish colonial opression here in Calabozo in 1784-1785. She never was defeted with her band of subversive indigenous army. In fact, she carried indigenous and slave people from the village of Calabozo and set them free in her own land. She gave speeches against the opression. She set up her son to be a judge of that town because she wasn't just another rebel: she fought for freedom and justice. This is the kind of feminism that we like it a lot.

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Also our tradition is based on the legacy of Romualdo. He was the first legal black physician (and he was a slave, he overcame that criminal barrier) of our town. He was liberated by her master because of his great skills as a physician. But he was deeply hated. In 1789 a colonial leader of Calabozo accused Romualdo to kill one of his female slaves caused by his "medical malpractice". So, they went to the court in Caracas. And there Romualdo won the case because he showed a powerful evidence: he had a license from the colonial Government to be a physician. He was really clever, he had an overcoming spirit.

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Our tradition is enriched by the genius of Carlos del Pozo y Sucre. When Alejandro Humboldt traveled to Venezuela, he went to Calabozo in 1800. And in Calabozo he found Carlos del Pozo y Sucre with a astonishing scientist laboratory here in the plains (Los Llanos). Carlos del Pozo y Sucre showed to Humboldt his unknown inventions. He is the first inventor of Venezuela. Carlos del Pozo y Sucre had created by himself an electrical machine and a lightning rod. Humboldt was really shocked and he wrote about it. Carlos del Pozo was an efficient and loyal official of Spanish crown. In fact, he worked and  participated in Balmis' Expedition, healthcare mission with the purpose to put smallpox vaccine to nations. Carlos del Pozo y Sucre made great discoveries for that vaccine. He was acknowledged by those discoveries. That kind of mind, that kind of life style is ours. In 1814 Carlos del Pozo y Sucre died in Calabozo and without doubt he was great human being.

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Another symbol of our unstoppable tradition is Luis Sanojo. He was born in Calabozo in 1819. He was a great jurist of our country. Sanojo was a well known judge in Venezuela. Also Luis Sanojo was the minister of foreign affairs of Venezuela in 1859. During that time, minister Luis Sanojo signed the sovereignty of Isla de Aves (a venezuelan island) for Venezuela, winning that case against USA. Luis Sanojo was a professor of french and another subjects at Santa María School (one of the best schools of Venezuela during XIX Century). He participated in the creation and approval of the first Law of Banks in the country. Luis Sanojo was founder of magazines where he published articles about legal issues. And we close with a personal note: Luis Sanojo was the grandfather of Teresa de la Parra, one of the greatest female writers of Venezuela. Sanojo died in 1878.

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We know the power of our tradition. This is a flowing river. We have another great physician, graduated from our own University, his name is Carlos Madera. He was born in Calabozo in 1861. He was a black guy. Madera's family were simple farmers. But Carlos Madera decided to study and to expand his mind. He broke racism and rejection. He studied medicine. He conquered by his studies and his mastery a respected position in our society. He was the english teacher of his generation. A completely multifaceted intellectual. He dedicated his life to attend his patients and another two passions: journalism and poetry. Madera was friend of the big leaders of his time: Francisco Lazo Martí, Roberto Vargas. And he was the catholic godfather of some of 20th century great leaders of our city. Carlos Madera died in 1927.

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And this tradition became invincible with the tallest figure of Francisco Lazo Marti.He was born in Calabozo in 1869. Physician, poet (writer of Silva Criolla, it is considered for our nation the best poetry about our plains), military leader, major, business man, political activist. He was professor on medicine and german language. A polymath humanist. Francisco Lazo Martí was in life the symbol of a writer, of a intellectual, of a politician. He was well known around our country during his life. He wrote powerful lines like this: "Without love without duty what is existence It is yet time to fight". Love, duty, fight, existence. In simple words: he was a genius. Our eternal genius. He died in 1909.

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And our tradition moves on to the 20th Century. Here we found others human treasures: Alfonso Espinosa. He was born in Calabozo in 1907. He was a writer and politician. But he was an economist. He wrote about venezuelan economy. He was the economy minister in President Isaías Medina Angaritas' administration. Also he was President of Venezuela Central Bank. He was a congressman. A humanist, a man who serves Venezuela. That is our tradition. We have Ana Luisa Llovera. She was born in 1908 in Calabozo. She was one of the first female journalists of our country. She joined the fight against Marcos Pérez Jiménez dictatorship. She got a well respected name in our modern venezuelan history. We have Antonio Estévez, one of the greatest classical musicians of Venezuela. He was born in Calabozo in 1916. He studied professional music in USA and Europe. Then when he came back to Venezuela, he was in prison because of his fights against Marcos Pérez Jiménez dictatorship. He created Cantata Criolla, a powerful simphony about a venezuelan main legend from the plains: Florentino y el diablo (Florentino, a singer who fights the devil), musical symbol of our nationality. Years later in France, Estévez worked to compose electronic music with Pierre Schaeffer. Our tradition never stops. We have Efraín Hurtado. He was born in Calabozo in 1934. One of the great modern antropologist of Venezuela. He studied in France. A powerful writer and thinker. His books are full of clever insights and critiques about our civilization. A wonderful poet. Our tradition never stops. We have Alberto Hernández. He was born in Calabozo in 1952. Poet, multifaceted writer. His books have been translated into english, arabic, french. Alberto Hernández has represented Venezuela in many cultural festivals around the world. In 2018, he won the Fundación de la Cultura Urbana Prize with his novel El nervio poético (The poetic nerv). He is still writing great things about us.

This our tradition. And today we have a lot of people doing great things. We have science, faith, knowledge, boldness. We have shaped the country. And we have a powerful tradition to shape our present and our future. Don't forget it, my friends. We are from Calabozo. We come from this tradition.

Calabozo, January 2023