The bicentennial events began at 6am with the hoisting of the tricolored Venezuelan flag in capital of Caracas accompanied by a ceremony paying homage to Independence hero Simon Bolivar whose military and political leadership liberated much of South America from Spanish dominium in the early 1800s. Later in the morning, in the Oval Room of the Federal Legislative Palace, Vice President Elias Jaua flanked by a number of federal lawmakers, opened, in an official act, the chest containing the original Declaration of Independence signed during Venezuela"s first congress on July 5, 1811. The ceremony was joined by a rendition of the National Anthem by members of the nation"s symphonic orchestra and officials report that the document will remain on public display until July 15 as part of the commemorative festivities. CIVIL−MILITARY PARADE Adding to the events, just before midday, the nation"s attention turned to Los Proceres Avenue in Caracas where a massive bicentennial parade brought together members of civil society, cultural organizations and the Venezuelan armed forces in an unparalleled display of national pride. The procession was inaugurated by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who, recovering from recent surgery, broadcast his speech via satellite from the presidential residence of Miraflores. Surrounded by members of the Military High Command, the socialist head of state drew reference to the example of Bolivar, exalting his country"s recent break with US imperialism and urging the Venezuelan people to consolidate the social gains made by his Bolivarian Revolution over the past decade. "Venezuela in the past 10 years has recovered its independence. Today, in the name of Bolivar, this recovered independence is the open door that we must keep open in order to recover in the coming years and decades all that belongs to the people: freedom, equality, happiness, life, and the homeland", he asserted. Although Venezuelan revolutionary leaders such as Francisco Miranda and Juan Roscio drafted the country"s Declaration of Independence in July 1811, it wasn"t until June 24, 1821 after military forces led by Simon Bolivar and Antonio Paez defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Carabobo that the territory now known as Venezuela could claim victory over the royalist army and freedom from imperial rule. BUILDING INDEPENDENCE, EXPANDING FREEDOM During his address on Tuesday, Chavez called on the Venezuelan people to repeat this year"s bicentennial celebration on the date of the Battle of Carabobo ten years from now. "I invite you to begin a new long march towards June 24, 2021 to commemorate again the 200 years since Carabobo, our national Independence, and the consolidation of the new socialist and Bolivarian homeland. That"s where we"re headed with the help of God", he declared. REGIONAL SOLIDARITY In addition to the attendance of more than 20 Foreign Ministers from around Latin America, the parade also saw the presence of Bolivian President Evo Morales, Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, and Uruguayan President Jose Mujica. According to Fernando Lugo, the vision of Bolivar to create a unified South America under the banner of one great homeland remains on the agenda of the region"s progressive leaders. "Today, we are rescuing the dreams of our forefathers and I hope that this dream of a great homeland becomes a reality for the well−being of all Latin Americans", the Paraguayan President commented. Chavez received Lugo, Mujica, and Morales upon the completion of the extraordinary event and expressed his gratitude for the visit which he considered to be one of the best possible treatments for his illness. "For my soul…and our struggle for life, this is a great and powerful injection", he declared in a brief press conference held after meeting with the heads of state. DUDAMEL BRINGS THE HOUSE DOWN The events of the day came to close after a final act at 6pm, led by the internationally renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the world famous Venezuelan Symphonic Youth Orchestra. The "Great Bicentennial Concert" was held as a re−inauguration of the Plaza Diego Ibarra in Caracas and saw the blending of traditional Venezuelan folklore with more strictly classical musical compositions. Although President Chavez could not be present for the event, he utilized his Twitter account to praise the young conductor and the Venezuelan Orchestra for their performance. "How marvelous is the youth! How marvelous is Gustavo Dudamel!… How marvelous is Venezuela! I"m there with you!" he wrote. INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATIONS In addition to the commemorative activities carried out inside the country, many in the international community took it upon themselves to congratulate the Venezuelan people on their historic accomplishment and celebrate alongside the country. The internet search engine, Google, decorated its homepage with a "doodle" depicting Venezuela"s national flower, the orchid, set to a backdrop of the South American nation"s colors of red, blue and yellow. In China, over a thousand people attended a floral offering made in the capital of Beijing to the busts of Simon Bolivar and Jose Marti, the Cuban revolutionary and writer. Similar events were held in Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba, Bolivia, and Argentina. For Edwin Castro, head of the Sandinista Party in the Nicaraguan Congress, Bolivar"s drive for South American independence is bound up with the independence of all Latin America. "Today we"re celebrating the bicentennial of the first cries of independence from Venezuela that would have repercussions for the independence of Central America", Castro said after a minute of applause in the country"s legislature to mark the occasion.