Ramón David León: the Sephardic-Jewish author of the Anthem of the state of Sucre (Venezuela)
Since remote times, South America has been related to Sefarad. It is known that coming to America temporarily concurred with the expulsion of Jews from Spain and that many of the conquerors were Hebrew. For centuries, and perhaps prior the arrival of Christopher Columbus — the theory of some priests in Western Indies, Jews have been among us and to relegate their participation in the Venezuelan historical process would be to deny a part of our roots and ethnic-cultural legacy. Venezuelan people is multi-ethnic and Hebrew blood-relation is also present.
Translated by: Yuly Alcántara
Ramon David León: “In Christmas season, New Year’s Eve or Three Kings’ day, one Venezuelan home where no hallacas are tasted is a home coming to less, more morally than materially. A fellow countryman who is not addicted to hallacas can be considered a fugitive of nationality”
Ramón David León Madriz, author of the anthem of the state of Sucre and descended from a prominent Jewish family of Sephardic origin. Although Ramón David León was Catholic (converted), his ethnic roots were Jewish.
Ramón David León was born in Cumaná, state of Sucre (August 6th 1890 — September 21st 1980). He was the son of Ramón Oscar León Guerrero and Dolores Madriz Otero. He was a self-taught journalist, diplomat and historian. He was the founder of El Foco and La Esfera newspapers (associated at the beginning, with Edmundo Suegart) and Editor-in-Chief at El Universal, El Heraldo, Satiricón and Pluma y Tinta. On December 19th 1915 is enrolled for a literary contest that sought to select the best written composition (adaptable for the Regional Anthem), convened by the decree of General Silverio González, governor of the state of Sucre. One year later, on October 28th 1916, he was the winner of the contest.
He was member of the work team of the government of President Juan Vicente Gómez and a firm believer in positivist ideas — democratic caesarism — ; a follower and promoter of dissertations proposed by Laureano Vallenilla Lanz, one of his great friends. Jorge Maldonado Parilli, a Venezuelan writer and former chief of National Security, defined León as follows: “He never shook his pulse to write what he considered to own for the defense of his beliefs or cause. Ramón David León was not (…) a simple liberalist as Vargas Vila’s or others who were in vogue at the end of the last century; he was certainly a journalist, a journalist with convictions and with the ability to argue around his points of view.
During the Colony, Punta Araya in the state of Sucre, was a strategic point for Dutch and Jews, due to its privileged location and salt mines. Long before the establishment of the Netherlands, as a result of the discoveries of Henry Hudson in 1609, the merchants of Friesland (north of Netherlands) had already explored the area of Guayana and Salinas de Punta Araya, on the coast of Venezuela. Until 1622, the Dutch Company of West Indies had formally operations in Araya (Sucre), when they were defeated by the Spaniards.
It is likely that the most tangible evidence of his legacy is related to gastronomy. As Editor-in-chief of La Esfera newspaper, Ramón David León was remarkable by his gastronomic reviews, which then formed the book: Geografía Gastronómica Venezolana, which includes 93 culinary reviews, published between 1951 and 1953, flavored with creole homeland. The gastronomic legacy of that deep Venezuela and in constant change has survived, in part, due to León’s effort and sacrifice, and above all, the loving affection of his native country and the attachment to his homeland traditions.
Ramón David León: I am a liberal, I hate everything coming from godarria, I detest oligarchies, I protest everything means exclusivism, so I can’t be conservative. Between a godo and a communist, I probably would decide to be the second. I am fervently nationalist, and I want the progress and well-being of the country within an order and a democratic structure, legalistic and civil.
As Arturo Uslar Pietri, Ramón David León proposed “Sowing oil”. This sentence, although it was popularized by Uslar, had previously been made in an economic sense by Alberto Adriani, and some analysts consider that it might have its origins in Gumersindo Torres’ ideas in 1918. According to León: “sowing oil is to populate the national territory through immigration, cultivate and promote technical and intensively livestock by all paths that lead to this scientific achievement.”
For Ramón David León, a homeland is permanent and that is why, throughout his career in journalism and political struggle against personalism, regionalism, despotism, incompetence and oligarchies. León, from the beginning, denounced the growth of communists’ cells in Venezuela, to which he considered out of the national idiosyncrasy. In his view, Venezuelans were individualistic, spiritually Catholic, preferably liberal, loved property with Bolivarian fervor. Therefore, León does not agree upon Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.
León prepares the history of the Venezuelan communist militants from 1928 student movement until March 1944. In times of Medina Angarita’s communists act openly and are allies of the ruling party, although the Constitution prohibits it. León identifies a soviet communism and a creole one, which is also Marxist, but does not respond to the dictates of Moscow. -David Ruiz Chataing.
Ramón David León, at this stage of the revival of the Venezuelan liberalism, had entered in crisis for many and well justified reasons, could be a character worth studying. León was one of the cosigners in the act of foundation of the Liberal Union Party, on September 24th 1941. Throughout his career, he was an adversary of communism and a firm believer of liberalism as a doctrine, the separation of powers as an ideal to protect and liberal democracy as a political model, even though Venezuela has historically existed in militaristic tendency — which, however, does not override the civilian legacy of men like Vargas, Bello, Soublette, Michelena and León — .
Venezuelans not only are unaware that the Anthem of Sucre was written by a Sephardic; León was a descendant of one of the most important and prosperous Jewish families in America — not only in Venezuela, but also in other countries such as the Dominican Republic — . His ancestors fought in lines of Simón Bolívar in the independence movement; they had an important participation in the development of Banco de Venezuela, the first at national level, founded by the Jewish Isaac Pardo (blood-related with economist David Ricardo).
Ramón David León, the liberal journalist from Cumaná, is the great- grandson of David Levi León León, born in Kingston, Jamaica. Son of David León and Leah León, both coming from Bordeaux, France. David León was the British Consul at the territory of Riohacha (La Guajira Peninsula) and official of the British Legion of Bolivar (British Battalion of Hunters). In honor of his military and diplomatic services, this León was awarded with “Order of the Liberator,” received from the hands of the hero Simon Bolívar and “Order of Ayacucho”, received by President José Antonio Páez — considered at this time, the true founder of the new institutions separated from Colombia, and therefore the father of the homeland and founder of the Republic of Venezuela — .
In Santo Domingo, not far from his hometown Kingston, was a consular agent of the Netherlands and Vice-consul of England; a personal friend of Father of Homeland Juan Pablo Duarte and Diez, with whom he exchanged mail very often, during 1860; he rendered military services to the cause of the Restoration War against Spain (1863–1865), where he worked as a spy (secret agent). David Levi León worked in Santo Domingo and Venezuela, in the latter country was the Director of Banco de Venezuela, founded by Isaac José Pardo.
In Venezuela, the contribution of Jews in science, politics, military defense, gastronomy and economy has been remarkable. Ramón David León, a descendant of Sephardic Jews, is an exceptional case that should make us reflect on our ethnic wealth. Not only our independence had a great contribution of the Jewish people — From the same pre-independence movements of 18th century — , also the development of our republican history since 19th century. Ramón David León’s work, one of the great Venezuelan liberal intellectuals, pitifully forsaken by historiography, we have to do value more the role that have had and have the Jewish community in our country. Although at times Jews seem invisible, they are not. They have always been among us; building a country of opportunity.
Lyrics of the Anthem of the state of Sucre
Chorus
Proud people! Brag the history of your children the martial deed, Sucre gives you his name of glory and Ayacucho his inmortal lauro.
I
Three barracks influence your shield, in gold, sapphire and scarlet appear the pleasant harmony of gifts of peace; in the cornucopia filled with fruits, the prodigious goodness, and in the palm rising to the sky, heroism, virtue, freedom!
II
The golden splendor of your beaches is a promise of bread laborious, as is your past glorious, of a future of prodigal welfare; the most beautiful portion of East in cordial borders surround and is wild in your lavish lands, the prestige of the martial laurel.
III
In you by grace joins the remote laurel to the olive sacred tree, turned the sword into plow and your reveilles in anthems of love. As eminent summit culminates in your towns the fame high, and is the name of Sucre, a flag in perennial demand of Union!
Important Facts:
- As other Spanish surnames, the surname León is used by some Jewish families. It is not always a Jewish surname. In the case of the last name De Sola, it is much more common in Jews; not very common in Catholics. The surname León on the island of Santo Domingo exists since 16th century, especially since 1684.
- Ramón David Leon´s gastronomic work can be found at: www.geografiagastronomica.com. Available on Amazon.
- Only eight Venezuelans have been awarded with Maria Moors Cabot Prize. In 1945, Luis Teófilo Nuñez, Editor-in-Chief of El Universal; in 1950, Monsignor Jesús María Pellín, Head of La Religión newspaper; in 1951, Ramón David León, Head of La Esfera newspaper; in 1954, Carlos Ramirez MacGregor, co-owner and Head of Panorama newspaper at Maracaibo; in 1958, Priest Jesús Hernández Chapellín, Head of La Religion newspaper; in 1967, Head of El Nacional, Ramón J. Velásquez; in 1972, Arturo Uslar Pietri, Head of El Nacional; and in 2012, Teodoro Petkoff, Head of Tal Cual newspaper.
- In Dominican Republic, the following families descended from David Levi León León: León de Castro, León Pereyra, León del Castillo, García León, León de Marchena, León Sturla, León Arzeno, León García, León del Valle, Nivar León, Velásquez León y Senior.
- Ramón David León was the winner of María Moors Cabot Award in 1951, receiving the Gold Medal. This is the oldest international prize to journalism, awarded by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
- For the study Ramón David León’s political and economic thinking, we recommend the following books: where do we go…? Political history of a fetus (1938), the vision of Fatherland (1940), the nationalist sentiment (1940), the meaning of slogan (1940), Fatherland and Cathedra (1941), Theater without spectators (1941), Generals and Economists (1942), From agricultural to oil (1944), Men and events in Venezuela. The Republic from José Antonio Páez until Rómulo Betancourt (1952), where will we arrive? The man of Macarigua (1966) and the wizard of Mulera (1976).
- With own financial resources, Ramón David León held a popular doctor’s office that helped more than 150 people a day.
- Ramón David León, regarding the Venezuelan gastronomy, wrote: “ I can assure that I have enjoyed all meals described. In addition to being a fervent believer in the native dishes. To me, it has always been interesting and pleasant tasting culinary preparations never tasted before,, as well as rare or exotic. I have to add to the greater prestige of our meals, well prepared with high quality raw material, a few kitchens are as expensive as the Venezuelan.
- During the military government of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, a considerable number of journalists affiliated to political organizations in the underground was able to survive due to “La Esfera” newspaper — where he worked as a Director — León , which opened its doors and offered them a permanent work. These journalists include: Simón Alberto Consalvi, Héctor Stredel, Gabriel Páez, Pedro Francisco Lizardo, Orestes Di Giacomo, and others.
- Juan De Sola, related to David León De Sola (grandfather of Ramón David León of Cumaná), was a hero of the Venezuelan independence, a Jewish and Mason.
- Ramón Oscar León Guerrero, Ramón David Leon’s father, was born in Santo Domingo. He graduated from medical school in Brussels.
- Francisco de Miranda, a hero of independence, might be a Jewish descendent. José Chocrón Cohén proposed it in his book “The secret identity of Francisco de Miranda”, published in 2011.
- Due to “Memories”, the work written by the Jewish-German Emma Meyer in 1874, is that we know the story of Abraham Heinrich Meyer, a Jewish-German who accompanied Simon Bolívar in many of his struggles.
- On May 21st 1577, the law that prohibited Jews to emigrate to the Spanish colonies in the West Indies was abolished — with rights of residence and commerce.
Reference Material:
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Quintero, V. (2019). Participation of Jews in the pre-independence movements and independence in Venezuela. Medium. https://medium.com/%40vicentequintero/la-participaci%C3%B3n-de-los-jud%C3%ADos-en-los-movimientos-pre-independentistas-e-independentistas-en-7fe5f30b6bbe
Quintero, V. (2019). What is the Venezuelan liberalism?. Medium. https://medium.com/%40vicentequintero/qu%C3%A9-demontre-es-el-liberalismo-venezolano-vicente-quintero-e98dde2e2b65
Ruiz-Chataing, D. (2017). History of ideas in Venezuela. Caracas: Universidad Metropolitana.
Sjenitzer, T. (2017) traces of Sephardic Jewish presence in Dominican Republic; contributions of Henry Ucko. Amstelveen: Eon Pers Amstelveen.
Terán-Mantovani, E. (2014). The phantom of Great Venezuela: a study of the myth of development and dilemmas of the petro-state in the Bolivarian Revolution. Caracas: CELARG.
In direct agreement with family members of Ramón David León. Letters, reviews, photos and press articles (published and unpublished) were consulted.
Author: Vicente Quintero
Vicente Quintero is a Venezuelan social scientist and author of the book ‘El Tercer Reich en Venezuela’. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from the Universidad Metropolitana of Caracas (Political Science, Economy, History and Philosophy) and decided to focus his dissertation research on the national security policy of Russia (Government and Public Policy) at the Central University of Venezuela.
