1863: the Sovereign State of Zulia
General Sutherland proclaimed a Sovereign State, later a Republic, of Zulia in 1863, before defeat and reincorporation.[1]
· Declaration
Proclamation of the Sovereign State of Zulia, 1863
General Sutherland proclaimed a Sovereign State of Zulia during the Federal War, later defeated and reincorporated.
The modern movement and Rosales' proposal
Manuel Rosales proposed an autonomy feasibility study, explicitly compared to Bolivia's Santa Cruz case.[2]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
-
1.
Claim: During Venezuela's Federal War, General Jorge Sutherland proclaimed a "Sovereign State of Zulia" in 1863, initially intending to negotiate with the federal government as an equal with a view to eventual accession to the Federal Republic of Venezuela; Sutherland later proclaimed a "Republic of Zulia" in rebellion against the Blue Revolution but was defeated by Venancio Pulgar and forced into exile, after which the territory was divided and reincorporated into Venezuela.
- Independent Republic of Zulia (Wikipedia) link, 1863 Sovereign State and Republic of Zulia section. Source record
-
2.
Claim: Manuel Rosales, who served as Governor of Zulia from February 2000 to November 2008 and again from December 2021 to June 2025, has been the most prominent proponent of Zulia autonomy; his party proposed a feasibility study on autonomy from Venezuela's federal government, explicitly compared to Bolivia's Santa Cruz autonomy efforts, motivated by opposition to federal centralization rather than a declared independence campaign.
- Quién es Manuel Rosales, el gobernador que se inscribió a último momento como candidato a presidente de Venezuela (Infobae) link, Rosales tenure and autonomy proposal section. Source record
Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/zulia-political-status/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.