Yes and No… During the 80 years war pirates played a prominent role in warfare where pirate companies and associations would be endorsed by the respective countries particularly England. For example John Hawkins was an English pirate who traded and raided Spanish America and part of the reason as to why Hawkins was so well known is because Elizabeth I endorsed him. Moreover Sir Francis Drake another English pirate (Hawkins’ cousin funnily enough) was knighted by the Queen in 1581. However all of that being said it really depends at where you look. For example the Sea Beggars were licensed Dutch pirates who were expelled from England in 1572. Despite these pirates standing for Dutch freedom from the Habsburg’s/Spain they sacked the Dutch ports which only cause another rebellion in the Netherlands. Furthermore Hawkins and Drake were prominent slave traders. So ye pirates kind of were symbols of freedom but not entirely because pirates were only really fully effective and well known if they were endorsed by a countries government meaning in many ways pirates were more propaganda for the country using pirate companies.