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Guia Lopes da Laguna, Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil)

image by Dirk Schönberger, 26 October 2010
Source: http://www.guialopesdalaguna.ms.gov.br/conteudo.php?COD_CONTEUDO=36

About the Flag

About the Flag

A dark blue flag, horizontally banded light three equally spaced red stripes, bordered yellow, and the municipal arms on a yellow triangle extending from the hoist..

Official website at http://www.guialopesdalaguna.ms.gov.br/.
Dirk Schönberger, 26 October 2010

The municipality of Guia Lopes da Laguna (1,211 sq. km) is located in southwestern Mato Grosso do Sul, 230 km of Campo Grande.

Guia Lopes da Laguna was founded in 1937 during the building of the road linking Aquidauana, Porto Murtinho and Bela Vista. The 1st Company of the 4th Sappers Regiments set up on the right bank of River Miranda a camp that transformed into a small settlement The first colonists were José Francisco Lopes (the son of Guia Lopes, recorded as the first colonist of the area), Jaime Artigas, Basílio Barbosa, Aurélio Rodrigues de Souza, Ozias de Souza Santos and Osvaldo Fernandes Monteiro. The settlement was named Guia Lopes da Laguna on 19 March 1938. "da Laguna" recalls that José Francisco Lopes, better known as Guia [Guide] Lopes was one of the heroes of the episode known as Laguna Withdrawal ("Retirada da Laguna"), which occurred between 8 May and 11 June 18967 during the Paraguayan War. After having invaded the Paraguayan territory, the column led by Guia Lopes operated a strategic withdrawal to avoid being slaughtered by the outnumbering enemies. The municipality of Guia Lopes de Laguna was established by State Law No. 678 of 11 December 1953.

The symbols of Guia Lopes da Laguna were designed by Arcinóe Antônio Peixoto de Faria. The flag was designed according to the traditions of the Portuguese heraldry. The coat of arms represents the municipal power, placed on a yellow triangle representing the seat of the municipality. The stripes represent the rural estates located on the municipal territory.
http://www.guialopesdalaguna.ms.gov.br/conteudo.php?COD_CONTEUDO=36 - Municipal website

The coat of arms is "A Samnitic shield surmounted with a six-towered mural crown argent. The field azure, in the middle a star argent issuant from sinister charged with an escutcheon azure and three stars or 2 + 1, surmounting a military equipment made of a cannon or over two guns and one sword argent, adextered a drum argent, in chief three escutcheons, dexter argent a bend azure charged with three crescents or between two lions affronty gules, middle argent a cross gules bottony vert, sinister argent a lion rampant gules, in base a triple mantle or a fess wavy azure. The shield supported by staffs sable per saltire each bearing a flag vert charged with a lozenge or and the arms of the Brazilian Empire. Below the shield a scroll gules inscribed in letters argent the toponym 'GUIA LOPES DA LAGUNA' surrounded by the years '1938' and '1953'."

The Samnitic shield, introduced from France to Portugal, symbolizes the Latin race as the main colonist and founder of the Brazilian nation. The mural crown is the heraldic representation of power; its six towers represent a town of third rank, that is the seat of a municipality. Azure (blue) is a symbol of justice, nobleness, perseverance, zeal and loyalty. The guiding star is charged with the arms of Guia Lopes, the namesake of the municipality, making the arms canting. The military equipment recalls the Laguna Withdrawal led by Guia Lopes. Argent (silver) represents peace, friendship, work, prosperity, purity and religious feeling. Or (gold) is a symbol of glory, splendor, highness, wealth and sovereignty. The three escutcheons are the arms of the Barbosa, Bulhões, Lopes, and Silva families, as a tribute to the founders Fábio Martins Barbosa, José Antônio de Bulhões, Pery José da Silva, José Francisco Lopes, and many others. Gules (red), incidentally used for the charges of the three escutcheons, symbolizes commitment, patriotic feeling, audacity, intrepidness, courage and valiance. Vert (green), used in the Bulhões arms, is a symbol of honor, civility, courtesy, abundance and joy, as well as the the symbol of hope, alluding in the greenness of the field in spring, promising good harvest. The triple mantle or (gold) represents the Serra de Maracajú, crossing the eastern part of the municipal territory, while the fess wavy azure (blue) represents River Miranda, in the valley of which the town was built. The Imperial flags are a tribute to Guia Lopes. The scroll bears the dates of establishment and political emancipation of the municipality, respectively.

The drawing of the coat of arms does not completely match the blazon. The charges on the star are hardly visible, the dexter escutcheon in chief is completely different and the fess wavy in base is represented argent instead of azure. Oddly enough, the drawing of the flag has the coat of arms matching the description.
http://www.guialopesdalaguna.ms.gov.br/conteudo.php?COD_CONTEUDO=37 - Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 28 January 2012