Resumen

CABRERA, Giovanni  y  BERBESI, Ligia. Pensamiento moderno y opinión pública en Maracaibo (siglos XVIII-XIX). Revista de Ciencias Sociales [online]. 2006, vol.12, n.3, pp.519-533. ISSN 1315-9518.

The province of Maracaibo was late in entering the pro-independence process led by members of the ruling class from Caracas. In January, 1821, years after the war for independence had begun, Maracaibo’s town council, representing its neighbors and recognizing its sovereign powers, declared its adhesion to the republican project and joined Grand Colombia, proclaimed officially by the Constitution of Cúcuta. This new method of political organization formed part of a transformative process revealed in both private and public words through lampoons, newspapers, pamphlets, proclamations, performances, gatherings and clubs, among others. This proliferation of writings and associations generated changes that defined the passage toward modernity and the construction of public opinion. From this time forward, public opinion in Maracaibo responded to the political teaching work of those considered republicans, and progressively disseminated Enlightenment ideals. This public opinion was directed first toward the ideals of sovereignty and political autonomy during the war for independence, and later, toward the formation of a national ideal, after the Republic of Venezuela was consolidated in 1830. In the formation of this public opinion in Maracaibo, new public spaces such as the diverse economic and artistic societies played a decisive role and permitted the diffusion of new ideas, contributing to the establishment of the bases of the new national ideal.

Palabras clave : Enlightenment; public opinion; modern thought.