Who designed the basic tricolor used in Venezuela's flag?

Francisco de Miranda designed the basic tricolor used in Venezuela’s flag.

Miranda created the yellow, blue, and red design for his 1806 expedition to liberate Spanish America. The flag was first flown at Jacmel, Haiti, on March 12, 1806, before Miranda’s expedition sailed toward Venezuela. It was later adopted by Venezuela’s National Congress in 1811.

The tricolor became a powerful independence symbol and influenced the flags of Colombia and Ecuador. Its original design had three horizontal bands, while later Venezuelan versions added stars and, at times, a coat of arms.

A common mix-up is crediting Simón Bolívar, who was a leading independence commander but not the designer of the basic flag. Venezuela’s modern flag retains Miranda’s original color order, although its stars and official details have changed over time.