#Venezuela #Miranda #Caracas – A monumental sculpture of St. Michael the Archangel, created by 17-year-old Venezuelan artist Josué Benjamín Figueroa Torres, was unveiled on his Feast Day of September 29th, 2026, at the entrance to the Las Mercedes neighborhood in the municipality of Baruta. Standing nearly 23 feet (about 7 meters) tall including its pedestal, the work was installed on the main avenue and presented to the public on the liturgical feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
Baruta Mayor Darwin González led the unveiling ceremony alongside municipal authorities and local residents. The sculpture, which the young artist designed and donated, depicted the Archangel in traditional form with armor, a sword, and wings as a symbol of protection, strength, and faith. It also incorporated three symbolic marks or wounds in memory of three people from the municipality who died in earthquakes on June 24, 2026.
“With this sculpture we also seek to honor the memory of the three people from the municipality who died on the day of the tragedy; that is why the figure of this Saint Michael the Archangel has three wounds,” Figueroa said. He further described the piece as “a work that symbolizes protection, strength, and faith, created to become part of this place,” and thanked God for the opportunity to create it. Reflecting on the installation after months of work, he added: “Seeing a work leave always stirs something inside me; it’s an indescribable feeling. As we install it, I think about the entire journey that brought us here. What one day began in my hands gradually took shape until it became this monumental work.”
The pedestal, roughly 4 meters high, was completed with support from the local private sector, and the full monument was oriented toward Cerro El Ávila. Residents who attended the event expressed gratitude and joined in prayer for the country. Mayor González noted that the sculpture served as a reminder for Venezuelans to maintain faith, remain united, and stay prepared for future emergencies.
Figueroa’s interest in sculpture began at age 4, when his father taught him to make figures from modeling clay after the boy wanted a toy the family could not buy. By age 15 he had completed a roughly 6-meter (nearly 20-foot) sculpture of St. Augustine of Hippo in Guacara, Venezuela, made with fiberglass-reinforced resin and an internal metal frame with the help of a team of at least 10 people. He also created the Nickelodeon program “El Taller de Josué” (“Josué’s Workshop”) in 2021 and received the Inspiration of the Year award at the Kids’ Choice Awards that year. Known on Instagram as @mundodeplastilinadejosue, where he has more than 1.7 million followers, he had previously produced other large works and used his art to support communities affected by the June earthquakes.
The St. Michael sculpture became a visual and symbolic landmark at the entrance to Las Mercedes, linking public art with remembrance and a message of protection for the community. In Christian tradition, St. Michael the Archangel has long been venerated as the leader of the heavenly hosts and a defender against evil. He appears in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, where he leads the angels in battle against Satan, and is invoked as a protector of the Church and the faithful. The September 29 feast day celebrates him alongside the other archangels, and the well-known prayer asking him to “defend us in battle” reflects his enduring role as a spiritual warrior and guardian.
Cover Image: The 23-foot statue now sits in Caracas where it is admired by its denizens.
