The President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, urged this Friday to refine the decolonizing character of the historical content that is taught in the country’s educational institutions, in order to build a “more independent consciousness.”
“We can aspire to have a better prepared generation, with a more genuine and profound spirituality, with a firmer anti-imperialist and pro-independence consciousness,” he asserted from La Guaira, at the closing ceremony of the 16th National Congress and 3rd International History Congress.
Maduro affirmed that the colonizing and domination impact that the educational system still has “is very great”, for which he insisted on the idea of ”redoing all the programs” of education together with students and teachers.
He indicated that the process of changing educational programs in schools and high schools »that will start from the proposals of the National Congress of Youth History of Venezuela, which will take place before the end of this school year.
“A fundamental challenge is to improve the quality of the historical content that is given in educational programs for children and young people (…) Improve the training of teachers in the content that is given to our students,” he stressed.
As an example of decolonization, Maduro mentioned the name change made to the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas for Gran Cacique Guaicaipuro.
He indicated that previously the highway had the name of a “genocide, a murderer, who raped, dismembered” indigenous children and grandparents
In his opinion, the people must be educated in the aspect of decolonization, since the “second impact of the contents” and historical research has to go “to the media.”
“Decolonize everything so that we build a single independence, and a solid vision of our people,” added the president, who urged to transfer the debate on decolonization to social networks to build “a pertinent and transformative political discourse.”
History Council
At the event, the head of state instructed the Minister for Culture, Ernesto Villegas, to relaunch the program “El Pueblo Cuenta su Historia”.
In addition, he announced the creation of the State Council for the Country’s History, Memory and Heritage, a proposal that was made by the historian Pedro Calzadilla, president of the National Electoral Council (CNE).
Calzadilla explained that it would be an instance of “articulation, coordination and advice in the different entities, social movements, personalities, who make life and have responsibility for historical consciousness.”
The instance would bring together historians, popular chroniclers and workers for the defense of historical heritage.
