For a taste of unadulterated Venezuelan patriotism, visit the Carabobo Battlefield , 32km southwest of Valencia. This is the site of the great battle fought on June 24, 1821, in which Bolívar’s troops decisively defeated the Spanish royalist army with help from the lancers of General Páez and British legionnaires. A milestone in Latin American history, the victory effectively sealed Venezuela’s independence. To commemorate the event, a complex of monuments has been erected on the battle ground.
