Constitution of Venezuela (1811) facts for kids

The Constitution of Venezuela of 1811 was a very important document. It was the first constitution for Venezuela and for any country in Ibero-America (which means countries in the Americas that speak Spanish or Portuguese). It was officially called the Federal Constitution of the States of Venezuela. This constitution was created by Cristóbal Mendoza and Juan Germán Roscio. It was approved in Caracas on December 21, 1811.

This constitution helped create the First Republic of Venezuela. It declared Venezuela independent from Spain. However, it only lasted for seven months. It was ended on July 21, 1812, when Francisco de Miranda surrendered in San Mateo.

The constitution was approved by representatives from seven provinces. These were Margarita, Mérida, Cumaná, Barinas, Barcelona, Trujillo, and Caracas. They decided to call their new country the "States of Venezuela." The constitution also said that the Catholic Church was the official religion of Venezuela.

When it came to voting, only men who owned property could vote. These men would choose representatives. These representatives would then choose the members of the Chamber of Deputies and Senators. They also chose three people to lead the country together. This was called an indirect election.

The constitution had 228 articles. One article, number 180, caused some discussion. It said that everyone, including government workers, had to follow the same laws. They would be judged by the same courts as all other citizens. This meant no one was above the law.

How Federalism Shaped Venezuela

The Constitution of 1811 created a federal system of government. This means that power was shared between a central government and the individual provinces. It was inspired by the French Revolution and the United States Constitution.

At that time, the provinces in Venezuela already had a lot of local power. Their local councils, called cabildos, were very strong. For example, the Cabildo de Caracas declared independence on April 19, 1810. It then invited other cabildos to form a big American confederation.

This federal system meant that the provinces had a lot of control over themselves. The central government was not very strong. Some leaders, like Simón Bolívar, believed this weakness caused the First Republic to fall in 1812.

Provinces and Their Own Rules

Because Venezuela had a federal system, each province could govern itself. They could even write their own constitutions. This was allowed as long as their rules did not go against the main national constitution. Not all provinces had time to write their own constitutions before the First Republic ended.

Caracas Province Constitution

• It was put into effect in 1812.
• This constitution was the longest of all the provincial ones.
• It divided the Province of Caracas into different areas.
• These areas were called Departments, Cantons, and Districts.
• The five Departments were Caracas, San Sebastián, Los Valles de Aragua, Barquisimeto, and San Carlos.
• Each Department had one or more Cantons.
• Each Canton usually had three Districts.
• A District was an area with about ten thousand people.

Mérida Province Constitution

• This constitution was approved on July 31, 1811.
• It had 148 articles.

Trujillo Province Constitution

• This constitution was approved on September 5, 1811.
• It had 63 articles.

See also

In Spanish: Constitución Federal de los Estados de Venezuela de 1811 para niños

• Venezuelan independence