June 21: Merchant Marine Day in Venezuela

Published at: 21/06/2025 08:23 AM

On June 21, Merchant Marine Day is commemorated in Venezuela, a date that was established on the occasion of the First National Convention of Merchant Marine Officers, in 1985.

Venezuela has vast maritime territories, which provide the country with political borders with different nations, so Merchant Shipping plays an important role in the movement of cargo around the world.

In 1946, through a Decree of the Revolutionary Government Junta, the Venezuelan Nautical School was created, thus separating itself from the Navy. The town of Macuto began to operate, east of the Port of La Guaira, on the coast of the Central Coast; it was later transferred to the west of La Guaira, to its current location in the town of Catia La Mar.

In 1973, the Merchant Marine School of Higher Studies was created. Ten years later, the Venezuelan Nautical School was elevated to the University Institute of Merchant Marine and since July 7, 2000, it has been upgraded to the level of National Experimental Maritime University of the Caribbean (UMC).

In the country, Merchant Marine is the union that groups the officers of the Merchant Marine of Venezuela, which includes all officers who were trained at the Venezuelan Nautical School, as well as those with degrees in Nautical Sciences who graduated during the period of the University Institute of Merchant Marine (and the previous officers who obtained such a degree by equivalence of studies), as well as the current graduates of the UMC with the title of Maritime Engineers in their two specialties: Navigation and Machines.

One of the main objectives of the reactivation of Merchant Shipping, established by Commander Hugo Chávez, on June 26, 2002, is to declare of public interest and strategic nature everything related to national and international maritime transport, of goods and people and in general, as well as all activities inherent or related directly related to national maritime and shipping activities.

Mazo News Team