My Firsy Book

Dear,

It is a great pleasure to address you by this means. My name is David Roa. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. I am an American small business owner and journalist. In 2019, I obtained a bachelor's degree in computerized information systems from AGM University based in Miami, Florida. In 2021, I earned a master's degree in journalism from AGM University with highest grades. That same year I began my doctoral studies in computerized information system which I continue until now. 

Today I would like to share news that fills me with great joy, although I have been working with my family's genealogical history for twenty-two years, at the beginning of 2020 I began to discover very valuable and interesting information about my ancestors. From there, I have found myself in an exhaustive process of investigation, data collection and history rediscovery. Throughout this journey I have been moved by a deep feeling of love, admiration, and commitment to history and to my deceased relatives.

Therefore, I would like to announce with great enthusiasm that I am writing my first book. This work will deal with the colonial, independence and contemporary history of Venezuela told through the life and legacy of my ancestors.

Although I am aware that I still have a long way to go to complete this project, I have been using all the information resources available, ranging from visits to historical sites, press releases, old books, to period documents, spoken testimonies, and many other sources of information to carry out this work. 

Likewise, for a year now, the Library of Congress located in Washington D.C. has become a center of research, discovery and learning for me. This cultural institution founded in 1800 by President John Adams, has to date more than one hundred and seventy-three million items to date. Among them are books, newspapers, photographs, microfilms, art, and other files, positioning itself as the library with the largest collection of records and information in the world and a key piece in my exhaustive documentation process.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Library of Congress and its extraordinary team for their help, the newspaper El Impulso for providing me with the information found in its database, and my family members for their enormous collaboration.  

If you would like to support me in this noble cause, you can make your donation by clicking on the "Donate Now" button or send your contribution to the following address: 8056 Main St. Ellicott City, MD 21043. All funds received will be used for the printing and distribution of the book. By doing so you will not only be supporting the realization of this project but also the preservation of the history of Venezuela.

During this 2023, I will be informing you on my website and on social media of the progress of this work, as well as its launch and distribution channels. I thank you very much in advance for your contribution and I take the opportunity to send you my warm regards.

Cordially, 

David A. Roa, M.A. in Journalism.

Writing my first book has become a complex process. Because it is a historical work, it has required a great mental, analytical, and investigative effort, long hours of study, staying up late, many frustrations and closed doors on the part of people and institutions. 

However, before the indifferent gaze of many and despite the fact that this work has become a crossing through the desert, at all times I have been filled with an enthusiasm that I had not felt before, for which I am determined, if the God of Heaven allows me, to finish this work. 

In the antipodes are all those who, placed by Divine Providence, have walked this long journey by my side, imagining a truly exciting story, although inconclusive. It evokes the historical Venezuela that has been forgotten, a product of "The Age of Disenlightenment."

David A. Roa, M.A. in Journalism.

Today marks 471 years since the founding of the city of Barquisimeto, capital of the Lara state, Venezuela. Its founder was the conquistador Juan de Villegas, who in 1552 held the position of lieutenant governor of the province of Venezuela. Villegas, under the direction of His Majesty King Charles I of Spain, founded the city with the name “Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto”. 

The commemorative coin in the photograph corresponds to the city's quadricentennial. It was struck in bronze in 1952, as a tribute to its founder and marks the beginning of many architectural changes in the city, among which the emblematic Obelisk stands out. 

Although I was not born in Barquisimeto, I consider myself a “Larense” at heart, given that my childhood and part of my adult life took place in the “Twilight City”, where I treasure memories full of joy, experiences, and learning. Furthermore, a large part of my ancestors belong to a long list of illustrious citizens of the Lara state, which increases a feeling of sincere love for this land and my historical roots. 

In short, from its beginnings until now, “La Nueva Segovia” has been filled with countless stories, many of them hidden, waiting to be discovered. For all this, today I wish you Happy Anniversary Barquisimeto! 

David A. Roa, M.A. in Journalism.

In February 2023, I shared with close family members and some acquaintances a letter I had written a few weeks earlier. Its content was also shared on social media and on my website. In the letter, I announced what would be one of the most complex challenges I have ever undertaken: writing my first book. As described in the letter, the work will collect part of the history of Venezuela told through the life and legacy of my ancestors.

This intricate path began in March 2022, when I formally undertook the collection of information with the sole purpose of writing a book. At that time, discovering and finding myself immersed in so many beautiful stories related not only to my genealogy, but to the history of Venezuela, made me make the decision to begin this long journey that, although certainly rough, has become one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

During this period of time I have been immersed in exhaustive research, spending hours reading and analyzing a large amount of data. I have used a number of tools to complete the process of searching for and selecting information. I have read around two hundred and fifty books, including: copies in circulation, old and rare books. Alternatively, I have managed to find historical documents, old newspapers and a large number of reliable anecdotes that have helped me discover real stories that were documented by writers and historians decades or centuries ago. I have also collected a large amount of unpublished material that seemed lost, all this in order to complete what I consider a historical puzzle.

I confess that my journey through the desert has been a real challenge, much of the material is scattered or forgotten and the historical references in many cases are few or non-existent. Unfortunately, Venezuela is characterized by having a lot of unverified information that is known by tradition and unfortunately there is no type of record that validates it, making its origin highly questionable.

On the other hand, the costs of time and money only in the research stage have been very high, not to mention the indifference of some individuals when requesting information. However, I also have a long list of people, many of them unknown, whom I must deeply thank for their selfless help, the latter have become true angels on the road, helping me find authentic invaluable treasures. Although the work has not been easy, I have been filled with a deep enthusiasm throughout the day, as if an inner force impelled me with an indescribable energy to continue to the end of the path.

I could say that this project, more than a personal objective, I have felt it as a call from Divine Providence, a commitment to my ancestors, to history and to my beloved Venezuela. In this arduous investigation I have concluded that in his or her passage through this life, each human being is responsible for treasuring and preserving history for future generations. I agree with the words dedicated by the essayist Alexis Márquez to the journalist and writer Guillermo Morón when he said: “If in the memory of a person there are memories that explain certain facts of collective interest, it is only fair that they be made known, because otherwise it would be an act of selfishness.” Or as Jorge Santayana, Spanish philosopher and novelist, teaches us in his most famous aphorism: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

In recent weeks I have been thinking of a date that is significant for me or that has been transcendental for my ancestors, in order to announce the pre-sale of the book, as well as the day and place of the official launch. So, with an inexplicable joy that overwhelms me at this moment, I would like to announce that September 14, 2025, as a tribute to the city of Barquisimeto and its founder Juan de Villegas, will be the date of the official pre-sale of the book that will be called: “Lost Memories: At the Gates of Oblivion”. The book will be available in Spanish and English and can be purchased exclusively on my website. Likewise, the official release date of the book will be December 17, 2025, as a tribute to the commemoration of the death of the Liberator Simón Bolívar. The special ceremony will take place at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Later I will be reporting more details about this event, as well as the progress and completion of this work. While that moment arrives, I will continue with the process of research and selection of the material, as well as that of writing the history of a Venezuela that has been lost in time.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that if you wish to support me in this noble cause, you can donate through my website. These funds, as I have stated in previous announcements, will be used for the printing and distribution of the book. I would like to thank you in advance for believing in my project and for your collaboration.

David A. Roa, M.A. in Journalism.