Udón Pérez centennial honored in Zulia ceremony

On 28 July, authorities and residents of Zulia gathered to mark the 100‑year anniversary of poet, philosopher and journalist Udón Pérez, author of the Zulia state anthem. The events were led by Governor Luis Caldera, Council Legislative President Magdely Valbuena, First Lady Roselyn López de Caldera, Culture Secretary Giovanny Villalobos and Regional Pantheon Director Angélica Reyes, beginning with a floral tribute at the Regional Pantheon.

A solemn session in the regional parliament saw the Zulia Government award the Orden Lago de Maracaibo Gran Collar Post‑Mortem to Pérez’s memory, received by his grandchildren—Monseñor Enrique Pérez Lavado, Bishop of Maturín, and Beatriz and Carmen Cristina Pérez Lavado. The Council also granted the Orden Udón Pérez to notable individuals and institutions supporting Zulia’s identity. Governor Caldera highlighted the recently formalised Autonomous System for the Protection of Zulia’s Heritage (Decree 246) and announced plans to relocate the remains of distinguished Zulia figures from municipal cemeteries to the Regional Pantheon.