image byPascal Gross, 13 March 2006
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We discussed a few weeks ago about the presence on civil flagand ensign of Venezuela of the Coat-of-Arms (Whitney Smith writesthere is no Coat of Arms)
I phoned for confirmation to Venezuelian Embassy in Paris, theyanswered me very strongly that there is always a CoA on all flags& ensigns.
So, who is right ?
Armand Noel du Payrat , 25 Febuary 1998
After a second query (including speaking to venezuelians), Icome to the conclusion that the flag with the Coat of Arms is thestate flag (and naval ensign), and that the civil flag &ensign has no Coat of Arms (only triband with arc of stars in theblue stripe).
Armand Noel du Payrat, 17 September 1999
The State Flag (with the coat of arms) is of civil use aswell, and I have not seen an presidential standard, or militaryflag or naval ensign that would be different to that flag. Ihave, though seen that,in formal rooms, like the office of thePresidents and the heads of Congressa flag with a golden-yellowfringe (not a border) is used. I am told it is mainly decorative.Every citizen is allowed to use the flag, although it should berespected . I have never seen a flag on an office buildingwithout the coat of arms on the hoist end of the yellow stripe.
Guillermo Aveledo, 24 September 1999
I have seen the Venezuelan national flag flown at the bordercrossing on the international bridge between Colombia andVenezuela (State of Táchira - San Antonio and the Department ofNorte de Santander, Cúcuta) without the Coat of Arms. At thesame time, half a block up the street, at the Headquarters of theNational Police, the flag did have the Coat of Arms. In mytravels to Colombia, always to the border area, I frequently gofrom Cu'cuta to San Antonio. I see the Venezuelan flag withoutthe Coat of Arms on public and government buildings as often as Isee the flag with the Coat of Arms. There seems to be noconsistency in the use of the flag, at least not in the borderarea between the State of Táchira and the Colombian Departmentof Norte de Santander. In fact, I saw a Venezuelan flag in frontof the Venezuelan conulate in Cúcuta without a Coat of Arms.
Hunter Hutchinson, 21 January 2000
And I have seen the venezuelan flag with an"outlined" Coat of Arms, that is, just the outlineswhere there and the Coat of Arms was black outlines"filled" in yellow. It was either on TV (most likely)or in a newspaper photo that I can't find right now.
Jorge Candeias, 21 January 2000
All of this is true and it happens. Venezuelan Flag Law is notheavily enforced, and there are no attemps to do so. ManyOfficial State buildings use flags with no Coat of Arms (I mustremind you that the Venezuela flag with the Coat of Arms is theState flag, according to the law). Even so, many flags aremanufactured, again, under almost no quality checks, withoultined Coat of Arms, and Jorge described. I've been told thatits is due to the fact that to print or to sew a Coat of Armswould result in flags with prohibitive costs for the buyers.Nonsense, flags are done that way, and common buyers shouldn'tneed a Coat of Arms on their flags. But, in any case, it happnes,just as it happens with the shades of the tricolori, the size ofthe Coat of Arms, the width and lenght of the flag and the archof stars I have with me a desk flag stand with the Spanish andthe Venezuelan flag, made in Spain, and the Spanish flag has theproper colours on its Coat of Arms, whereas the Venezuelan flaghas an outlined Coat of Arms. It happens, thought it shouldn'thappen, and it doesn't raise any eyebrows...
At top there are what would be a "right" depiction ofthe flag and here are some wrong variants.
Guillermo Aveledo, 29 Febuary 2000
About the coat of arms, everybody knows in this country thatthe official and war flags DO HAVE
the coat of arms, but the civil flag DO NOT. I am not anauthorized specialist on this theme, but I can assure it
Pablo Acosta Ríos, 14 June 2000