Pan American World Airways teacher, Vol. VII, No. 4, March - April 1951

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World Airways Teacher
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March-April
Published by Pan American World Airways
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VOL. VII, No. 4
VENEZUELA
By Enrique Portes
Over 450 years ago three famous explorers Alonzo de Ojeda, Juan de la Cosa and Amerigo Vespucci were the first to explore the coast of Venezuela. Columbus had only touched the mainland on his third voyage in 1498. The three explorers sailed into Lake Maracaibo, where seeing Indian pile dwellings over the water, were reminded of the water city of Venice and named this country Little Venice—Venezuela.
Since that time many changes have taken place, great cities have emerged, magnificent roads have been built, rich and tremendous industries have developed, but the geographical aspect of the country remains as before. Venezuela is still a land of tropical lowlands and snowy Andean peaks, of grassy plains and tangled jungle, and immense oil fields.
Today Venezuela is a prosperous country, served by every means of modern communication—air, land and sea, proud of her history and culture, and conscious of her international position in this age of violence and political tension.
Upon your arrival in Venezuela, you immediately feel that you are in a young country whose people, in their desire to reach their deserved goal of prosperity and justice, do not hesitate to undertake drastic changes.
Somehow when one writes about Venezuela the first thought that comes to his mind is that Simón Bolívar was born there. The second is the fact that Venezuela is one of the largest petroleum countries in the world.
Ask any Venezuelan about the Great Libertador and he will tell you his unremitting admiration for Bolivar, comparable only to that evoked in the United States by the combined figures of Washington and Lincoln. He will tell you that Bolivar was born in Caracas in 1783; that at sixteen he was off to Spain for education; that at twenty-one he stood in the crowd which witnessed Napoleon’s coronation in Paris and was overcome by the admiration which Parisians expressed for their hero; that in Paris young Bolivar met Baron von Humboldt, recently returned from his American explorings, who told the Venezuelan that his native land was ripe for freedom, that only a leader was lacking.
You don’t have to wait long to hear in a nutshell Bolivar’s deeds.
Your Venezuelan interlocutor will add that three months later Bolivar, accompanied by his friend and teacher, Simon Rodriguez, fell on his knees on the Aven-(Continued on Page 8)
(Photo from Black Star)
FLYING CLIPPER—The plane is being loaded in Venezuela, in preparation for a flight to the United States. Crews for these flights, in addition to being qualified in all phases of flight duty, must be able to speak Spanish.
EDUCATIONAL AIR TRAVEL
The last two issues of World Airways Teacher have presented in this space information from travel organisers about their plans for educational travel in the summer of 1951.
This is a continued story. Nezv information comes along all the time, and recent developments are summarised belozv.
Summer Session at San Marcos
The oldest university in the western hemisphere is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year.
Of course there is some academic argument as to whether the Universidad Nacional Mayor De San Marcos actually is the oldest university in the New World. But the claim which San Marcos adherents make to that distinction appears well founded. Also, it must be recognized that the San Marcos summer session, with courses especially designed for students from the U.S.A., has drawn thousands of students to Lima in recent years. So students from the U.S. will take pleasure this summer in helping San Marcos celebrate its fourth centenary.
The summer course beginning July 2 is called that for the benefit of those of us who live north of the equator, for July and August are winter time in Peru. The reversal of weather conditions is one reason for the popularity of the session, which this year runs from July 2 to August 16.
Courses of study are interesting for teachers of Spanish, geography and social studies. The university lists the following for the July-August session:
Spanish (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
History of Peruvian Culture Peruvian Archaeology History of the University of San Marcos History of Philosophical Evolution in Peru through the University of San Marcos.
In addition to the regular courses, the Summer School curriculum offers afternoon and all day excursions to points of interest in and near Lima; evening lectures by prominent Peruvian cultural leaders; concerts of Peruvian music; planned social activities, all embraced within the basic charge.
(Continued on Page 12)