Venezuelan murals of Hugo Chavez removed in Venezuela reborn campaign

Caracas – In a coordinated effort under Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s “Venezuela reborn” initiative, municipal authorities have begun dismantling large‑scale murals that depict former presidents and socialist icons, including several prominent works featuring Hugo Chávez. The campaign, announced in early June, seeks to refresh public spaces with imagery that reflects the current administration’s vision of national identity and to replace what officials describe as “outdated political symbols” with new artistic representations aligned with the government’s development agenda.

The removal process, which started in the capital’s central districts and is slated to expand to regional cities, involves the careful extraction of wall paintings from schools, government buildings and community centers, followed by the installation of fresh murals commissioned by state‑sponsored artists. Government spokespeople say the initiative aims to promote unity and modernize the visual landscape, while opposition groups have criticized the effort as an attempt to erase the legacy of Chávez’s Bolivarian Revolution. The program is expected to continue throughout the year as part of broader cultural reforms outlined in the “Venezuela reborn” platform.