Calabozo, officially Villa de Todos los Santos de Calabozo, is a city in Venezuela located in Guárico state, capital of the Francisco de Miranda Municipality and former capital of the state. It has a population of 168,605, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE) in 2020. It is located in the center-west of Guárico state, and is one of the main rice producers in the country. In addition, it has the largest irrigation system in Venezuela.[citation needed]
Calabozo, is a mostly colonial city and is linked to its modern urban areas, being the largest colonial center in the country, and is located at 105 m a.s.l. n. m., at the margin of the Guárico River in the high central plain. Its location is on the banks of the Generoso Campilongo Dam, an important work both in its time and today, being the largest in Venezuela and one of the largest in Latin America. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Calabozo.
Toponymy
The toponymy of the city of Calabozo, in Guárico state, Venezuela, has several theories regarding the origin of its name. There are three main hypotheses:
Prison hypothesis: This theory suggests that the Spanish conqueror Garci González de Silva imprisoned Carib indigenous people in this area, leading to it being called "Calabozo," referring to a place of confinement.
Geographical hypothesis: It proposes that the Guárico River, as it curves around the plateau where the city is located, forms a large arch, similar to an old Spanish farming tool called "calabozo." This is the most widely accepted theory.
Indigenous hypothesis: Introduced by historian Alfonso Espinosa, it suggests that the name derives from the indigenous term "Calaboco," which appears in baptismal records from the Misión de Los Ángeles.
Of these three, the geographical hypothesis is the most supported, while the prison version lacks historical evidence.
History
Foundation and Early Events
In March 1723, Andalusian Capuchin missionaries Bartolomé de San Miguel and Fray Salvador de Cádiz gathered 520 indigenous people from the Orinoco River region, belonging to the Guaiquerí, Mapoye, Tamanaco, Otomaco, Abaricoto, and Güire nations, into two towns called Santísima Trinidad de Calabozo and Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Calabozo. Each indigenous group formed a separate neighborhood, and the towns were about a league apart. At the missionaries' request, on November 26, 1723, the governor granted permission to establish a Spanish town nearby, which was authorized by the bishop on December 15 of that year.
On February 1, 1724, a cross was raised, and the site for the town of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Calabozo was blessed. Local landowners obstructed the settlement for both the indigenous people and the Spanish settlers, but in 1726, the governor ordered the distribution of plots and allocated five leagues around the town for its inhabitants. At that time, it was called Villa de Todos los Santos de Calabozo. A royal decree from February 15, 1738, confirmed the town's foundation, as landowners even pressured the governor to have the lands returned to them. As a result, on September 14, 1741, the governor ordered the lands to be returned to those landowners. On August 14, 1744, Father Antonio de Jaén and 62 residents petitioned the Council of the Indies for the restoration of the town. The council granted what was due to the town and to the missions of Santísima Trinidad and Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles on July 6, 1751, allocating one league around each. The town's title was confirmed by a royal decree on April 20, 1774.
Colonization
On March 16, 1780, the town was visited by Bishop Mariano Martí. He observed that the church was under construction and noted that it was neither one of the wealthiest nor the poorest towns in the province. It had livestock herds—cattle, mules, and horses—that supplied Caracas. During this visit, Martí founded Calabozo's first school. Its first town council was formed on January 1, 1776, with ordinary mayors, brotherhood officials, a royal standard-bearer, a chief constable, and council members. At the time, the town had 428 houses and 3,448 inhabitants.
The Prussian-born explorer Alexander von Humboldt arrived in Calabozo in mid-March 1800 and stayed for several days in the area.[1] He reported that the city had around 5,000 inhabitants at the time and was amazed to find batteries, electrometers, electrophores, and other scientific instruments made by Carlos del Pozo y Sucre, who had no other instruments to consult or reference but his own.
On July 31, 1811, the city's council, in agreement with the Caracas Junta, proclaimed absolute independence, and on August 15, they welcomed the priest José Cortés de Madariaga, who returned from Bogotá after being sent by the government to sign a treaty of friendship, alliance, and federative union. These efforts were a precursor to Simón Bolívar's diplomatic actions years later. During the Venezuelan War of Independence, Calabozo became a focal point of military action in the plains, alternating control between republican and royalist forces.
The city suffered greatly from the prolonged violence. José Tomás Boves, who had been confined there since 1808, made Calabozo his headquarters. The city was later captured by the Liberator, Simón Bolívar, who temporarily forced General Pablo Morillo to retreat following the battle of February 12, 1818.
Geography
Calabozo is situated in the midst of an extensive llano on the left bank of the Guárico River, on low ground, 325 feet above sea-level and 123 miles S.S.W. of Caracas. The plain lies slightly above the level of intersecting rivers and is frequently flooded in the rainy season; in summer the heat is most oppressive, the average daily temperature being around 31 degrees Celsius.[2]
In its vicinity are thermal springs. The principal occupation of its inhabitants is cattle-raising. The town is well built, regularly laid out with streets crossing at right angles, and possesses several fine old churches, a college and public school. It is a place of considerable commercial importance because of its situation in the midst of a rich cattle-raising country.[2]
Climate
The climate is typical of the geographical area, typical of the plains, with an average annual temperature of 27.5 °C; a monthly maximum of 34.4 °C and a minimum of 20 °C. There are two well-differentiated climatic periods: the dry period between the months of November to May and the rainy period between the months of May to October. The months where the temperature is higher and the suffocating heat are: March and April and October and November.
Calabozo agroindustry is a fundamental pillar of its economy, focused on the processing and commercialization of agricultural and livestock products. Located in the heart of the Venezuelan plains, the region is ideal for cultivating various crops. The abundance of water resources, such as rivers and reservoirs, supports irrigation and allows for maximizing crop productivity, both for local consumption and for export to other areas of Venezuela.
Cattle farming, particularly bovine, also plays a crucial role in Calabozo agroindustry. This activity is the main source of income for many families in the region, with meat production and dairy products such as cheese and butter being especially significant. Livestock farming not only sustains the local economy but also contributes to the food security of the population.
Despite its potential, Calabozo agroindustry faces challenges such as input shortages, inflation, and the country’s economic instability. However, there are opportunities for growth and diversification, such as the adoption of sustainable farming techniques and the use of technology in production. These initiatives would not only add value to local production but also generate jobs and improve supply chains, thereby strengthening the agro-industrial sector in the region.
Street in Calabozo.
Agriculture
Agriculture in Calabozo greatly benefits from the Guárico River irrigation system, allowing for the cultivation of a wide variety of agricultural products. Among the main crops are rice, corn, legumes, tobacco, tomatoes, bell peppers, cotton, and cassava. These favorable conditions not only support the growth of these crops but also contribute to hunting and grazing activities, further diversifying the region's economy.
Calabozo stands out as one of the leading rice producers in Venezuela, thanks to its high-pH soils, which are ideal for rice cultivation. Rice thrives in anaerobic conditions, meaning it grows optimally in flooded soils, a factor supported by the efficient irrigation system available in the area. This production capacity not only supplies the local market but is also sent to other regions of the country, establishing Calabozo as a strategic agricultural hub.
Livestock Farming
Livestock farming is primarily characterized by cattle breeding, which has benefited from vast areas dedicated to grazing. This livestock activity has become a fundamental part of the local economy due to the abundance of natural resources that allow for the sector’s optimal development.
One of the most notable aspects of livestock farming in Calabozo is its dairy production. The region is recognized as one of the main cheese producers in the plains, highlighting the importance of milk as a source of income for cattle farmers. This industry not only supplies the local market but also contributes to the national supply, positioning Calabozo as a leading dairy production region.
Sites of interest
Guarico Reservoir: serves as an irrigation system for an extensive rice-growing area, where it is known as the Guárico River Irrigation System. This system is also used to control floods caused by extreme rainfall in the low plains or in the southern zone. Inaugurated in 1957 by President Marcos Pérez Jiménez, it is the largest reservoir made in Venezuela.
^Daum, Andreas W. (2024). Alexander von Humboldt: A Concise Biography. Trans. Robert Savage. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. p. 68. ISBN978-0-691-24736-6.
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