The social groups of the localities and regions of the Captaincy General of Venezuela adopted an autonomous attitude towards the call for Independence made by Caracas. The abdication of the king of Spain led to an unusual movementin the government’s boardsin several cities of the Captaincy with the aim of reassuming the sovereign authority based on the people’s natural right, while at the same time, there were manifestations of loyalty towards the Regency. The particular case of Maracaibo is studied in this paper, as well as the consequences of the Venezuelan process of independence as regards the construction of the Republic
