Capriles's Cap: Perseverance
A smiling Henrique Capriles wearing his cap. Photo courtesy of ecuadortimes.net
Like a crown on a king’s head, a baseball cap rests on Henrique Capriles’s head at all times. It is not just any cap, it sports the seven-starred Venezuelan flag.
Henrique Capriles is the current face of the democratic opposition in Venezuela; the party against Hugo Chavez and his followers. He has been the leader since 2012, when he ran for the Venezuelan presidency against then-President, Chavez. After losing the election, the opposition was heartbroken, but Capriles continued his movement for progres. Suddenly, Chavez died in 2013. The opposition saw this as an opportunity, the window to change. Capriles ran again, this time against then-Vice-President Nicolás Maduro. After a close election (and what some believe to be fraud), Maduro was named President if Venezuela. Nevertheless, Capriles has continued to be a leading figure in Venezuelan politics. Currently, most of the Venezuelan population supports him and his movement. Venezuela is ready for change. However, there is something that has remained constant since his first political appearance: his cap. It has become his campaign symbol. “Why is a clothing item important?”, you may ask. The statement behind the cap is that it has the seven-starred Venezuelan flag, which Chavez changed in 2006 by adding a star. The seven stars represented each of the provinces that signed the declaration of Independence from Spain. In order to honor the eighth Venezuelan province at the time of the independence, Guayana, Chavez decided the addition of a star to the flag was necessary (it is important to note that the majority of the original province is no longer considered a part of Venezuela). The modification resulted in controversy and protests; people were not happy. Since the flag was changed by Chavez, the seven-starred flag has become a symbol for the opposition, and Capriles has not been spotted without wearing it. |
Picture of the seven-starred Venezuelan flag cap worn by Capriles and numerous opposition leaders and members.
Photo courtesy of Armando Caro |