Chacao Municipality, Miranda
Encyclopedia
Chacao Municipality, is one of the five political and administrative subdivisions of the city of Caracas
, Venezuela
. The other four are Baruta
, El Hatillo
, Libertador
and Sucre
. This legal entity is known as the Caracas Metropolitan District
. Chacao is also one of the 21 municipalities that make up the State of Miranda, Venezuela.
to the north.
The exception is El Ávila mountain, located over 2,100 mts., where the average annual temperature is around 15 °C, 5 °C in dry season and 25 °C at rain season.
Many of the city's shopping malls are located within the Chacao territory. The township also controls the most transited pedestrian access to the Avila National Park (Sabas Nieves), a popular destination for fitness-obsessed caraqueños. Other attractions include a restaurant district in the neighborhoods of La Castellana, Altamira
and Los Palos Grandes, a Center for Performing Arts (CELARG) and the Chacao Culture Center, a public space dedicated to concerts, art expositions and other cultural activities. Parque del Este
, the biggest urban park in Caracas, although largely in neighboring Sucre
territory, has one of its main entrances in Chacao, making it a popular recreational and exercise area for the inhabitants of Los Palos Grandes and other Chacao neighborhoods.
The municipality has become a financial center, after many of the country's banks moved their headquarters to the formerly residential neighborhood of El Rosal, fleeing a disorganized and growingly business-hostile city downtown. The main street artery, Francisco de Miranda avenue and its vicinity, rivals Caracas' old downtown in office space availability, and is preferred by foreign companies with established offices in the country. Some signature office buildings include Parque Cristal, Letonia Center, HP Tower, Atlantic Building, La Castellana Center, Multicentro Empresarial del Este, Centro Lido, KPMG Tower, Forum Tower, Shell Tower, and other important architectural landmarks. Several other office buildings are occupied by government-controlled entities such as the Pequiven and Banco del Tesoro towers.
A dwindling traditional Venezuelan private sector has given way for new short-term businesses and franchises that bloom around the city thanks in part to soaring oil prices and in part to a lack of investor confidence in the country's long-term prospects. Chacao is again an important player in this money wave craze, with commercial and residential real estate prices among the highest in the nation. The residential neighborhood of Campo Alegre has on average the highest priced real estate in the country.
The Cathedral and Bolivar Square area, known as Pueblo de Chacao was home to Spanish, Italian and Portuguese immigrant waves, and today represents a middle class stronghold in the municipality. Small pockets of poverty, known as barrios, are also present, some of the best known are Pajaritos and El Pedregal which are surrounded by luxury condos and opulent houses.
specifies that municipal governments be divided into executive
and legislative branches. The executive government of the municipality is governed by the mayor, while the legislative government is managed by the Municipal council. On March 8, 2000, the year after a new constitution was introduced in Venezuela, it was decree
d in Gaceta Official N° 36,906, that the Metropolitan District of Caracas would be created, and that some of the powers of Baruta would be delegated to the Alcaldía Mayor, which would also start governing the Libertador, Sucre, El Hatillo and Chacao municipalities. Venezuelan municipalities are subdivided in parishes.
Former mayor Leopoldo López Mendoza
, elected in 2000 and re-elected for the 2004-2008 term, has played a prominent role in anti-Chávez
politics over the past eight years. On November 23, 2008, Emilio Graterón was elected mayor with 47,54% of vote. Unsurprisingly, Chacao has represented a stronghold for the Venezuelan opposition. Anti-Chavez votes have steadily represented between 85 and 95% of the total votes in the borough, throughout the length of Chavez's administration.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications
has its headquarters in the Torre ITC in Chacao. The Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil
, the Venezuelan aircraft accident investigation agency, has its headquqarters in Chacao.
In Cumanagoto language Chakau (Chacao) means sand, the municipality was named after the Indian Cacique
Chacao, who died defending his territory in 1567, the year when the city of Santiago de León de Caracas was finally established after more than three decades of unsuccessful attempts by the Spanish. The chosen location for Caracas Plaza Mayor and Cathedral was on the west side of the valley, making the fertile lands of Chacao (on the mid-east side) an ideal location for agricultural crops and establishment of haciendas. Spanish conquistador Diego de Losada
, founder of the city of Caracas, included these lands in his jurisdiction.
The township of Chacao was founded by an immigration wave of the San Bernabé earthquake victims on June 11, 1641. It was officially made a Catholic parish with the foundation of San José de Chacao church.
After repeated epidemics and calamities affected Caracas, the Town Hall and the Governor and Commander in chief of the Province, Jose Solano y Bote
, in 1764 thought about transferring the entire city to this location, an idea that was rejected by Caracas Bishop Mauro Tovar.
On April 15, 1769, the residents of Chacao asked for the creation of an independent ecclesiastical parish, Lieutenant Francisco Palacios y Sojo, made the request, after evaluating the economic conditions, the separation of Chacao from the Parish of La Candelaria was granted on September 27, 1769.
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. The other four are Baruta
Baruta Municipality
Baruta Municipality belongs politically to the Greater Caracas Municipality in Venezuela. It is located geographically in the South-East section of the city. Its western limit is the Los Chaguaramos neighborhood and limits to the east with the Colinas de Los Ruices neighborhood, in the Sucre...
, El Hatillo
El Hatillo Municipality, Miranda
El Hatillo Municipality is an administrative division of the State of Miranda, Venezuela; along with Baruta, Chacao, Libertador and Sucre, it is one of the five municipalities of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela...
, Libertador
Libertador Municipality (Venezuelan Capital District)
The Libertador Bolivarian Municipality is the only administrative division of the Venezuelan Capital District and along with the municipalities of Baruta, Chacao, El Hatillo and Sucre forms the Metropolitan District of Caracas. It is located in the western portion of Caracas. It is landlocked by...
and Sucre
Sucre Municipality, Miranda
The Sucre Municipality is one of the 21 municipalities that makes up the Venezuelan state of Miranda and, according to a 2007 population estimate by the National Institute of Statistics of Venezuela, the municipality has a population of 640,762. The city of Petare is the shire town of the Sucre...
. This legal entity is known as the Caracas Metropolitan District
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. Chacao is also one of the 21 municipalities that make up the State of Miranda, Venezuela.
Geography
Chacao occupies the mid-eastern portion of the Caracas Valley, north of the Guaire River, bordering the other urban municipalities to the east, south and west, and the Avila National ParkCerro El Ávila
The El Ávila National Park covers part of the mountainous region of the coastal area of north-central Venezuela. The area's highest elevation is Pico Naiguatá, at 2.765 meters above sea level...
to the north.
Climate
The climate of Chacao municipality is classified as Intertropical because of its geographical position, its altitude of about 1,000 meters above sea level, and its annual minimum temperature of 18 °C. January and February are the coldest months with temperatures of 12 °C at night. The average high temperature is around 27 °C. The warmest months are April and May, when it can reach 34 °C.The exception is El Ávila mountain, located over 2,100 mts., where the average annual temperature is around 15 °C, 5 °C in dry season and 25 °C at rain season.
Economy
Altamira (Caracas)
thumb|250px|right|Plaza FranciaAltamira is a neighborhood located in the Chacao municipality of Caracas, Venezuela. It has its own Metro Station, many hotels and restaurants, and is an important business and residential center of the city...
and Los Palos Grandes, a Center for Performing Arts (CELARG) and the Chacao Culture Center, a public space dedicated to concerts, art expositions and other cultural activities. Parque del Este
Parque del Este
Parque del Este officially Parque Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda is an urban park of 0.82 km² in the east of Caracas, designed by Brazilian landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx. Opened in 1961, the park is served by the Caracas Metro .- External links :...
, the biggest urban park in Caracas, although largely in neighboring Sucre
Sucre Municipality, Miranda
The Sucre Municipality is one of the 21 municipalities that makes up the Venezuelan state of Miranda and, according to a 2007 population estimate by the National Institute of Statistics of Venezuela, the municipality has a population of 640,762. The city of Petare is the shire town of the Sucre...
territory, has one of its main entrances in Chacao, making it a popular recreational and exercise area for the inhabitants of Los Palos Grandes and other Chacao neighborhoods.
The municipality has become a financial center, after many of the country's banks moved their headquarters to the formerly residential neighborhood of El Rosal, fleeing a disorganized and growingly business-hostile city downtown. The main street artery, Francisco de Miranda avenue and its vicinity, rivals Caracas' old downtown in office space availability, and is preferred by foreign companies with established offices in the country. Some signature office buildings include Parque Cristal, Letonia Center, HP Tower, Atlantic Building, La Castellana Center, Multicentro Empresarial del Este, Centro Lido, KPMG Tower, Forum Tower, Shell Tower, and other important architectural landmarks. Several other office buildings are occupied by government-controlled entities such as the Pequiven and Banco del Tesoro towers.
A dwindling traditional Venezuelan private sector has given way for new short-term businesses and franchises that bloom around the city thanks in part to soaring oil prices and in part to a lack of investor confidence in the country's long-term prospects. Chacao is again an important player in this money wave craze, with commercial and residential real estate prices among the highest in the nation. The residential neighborhood of Campo Alegre has on average the highest priced real estate in the country.
Demographics
Law and government
The constitution of VenezuelaConstitution of Venezuela
||The Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the current and twenty-sixth constitution of Venezuela. It was drafted in mid-1999 by a constitutional assembly that had been created by popular referendum. Adopted in December 1999, it replaced the 1961 Constitution - the longest...
specifies that municipal governments be divided into executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
and legislative branches. The executive government of the municipality is governed by the mayor, while the legislative government is managed by the Municipal council. On March 8, 2000, the year after a new constitution was introduced in Venezuela, it was decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
d in Gaceta Official N° 36,906, that the Metropolitan District of Caracas would be created, and that some of the powers of Baruta would be delegated to the Alcaldía Mayor, which would also start governing the Libertador, Sucre, El Hatillo and Chacao municipalities. Venezuelan municipalities are subdivided in parishes.
Former mayor Leopoldo López Mendoza
Leopoldo López
Leopoldo López Mendoza is a Venezuelan politician and economist. From 2000 until 2008, López was the mayor of the Chacao Municipality of Caracas. A 2006 Los Angeles Times article describes López as an immensely popular leader of the opposition to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, as well as a...
, elected in 2000 and re-elected for the 2004-2008 term, has played a prominent role in anti-Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
politics over the past eight years. On November 23, 2008, Emilio Graterón was elected mayor with 47,54% of vote. Unsurprisingly, Chacao has represented a stronghold for the Venezuelan opposition. Anti-Chavez votes have steadily represented between 85 and 95% of the total votes in the borough, throughout the length of Chavez's administration.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications
Ministry of Transport and Communications (Venezuela)
The Ministry of Transport and Communications of Venezuela was created in June 2010, to cover transport and communications in Venezuela...
has its headquarters in the Torre ITC in Chacao. The Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil
Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil
Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil is the civil aviation accident investigation agency of Venezuela. The JIAAC has its headquarters in Chacao, Caracas, Miranda State. It is an organization under the Ministry of Transport and Communications...
, the Venezuelan aircraft accident investigation agency, has its headquqarters in Chacao.
Mayors
- Irene Sáez (1993-1998)
- Cornelio Popesco (1998-2000)
- Leopoldo LópezLeopoldo LópezLeopoldo López Mendoza is a Venezuelan politician and economist. From 2000 until 2008, López was the mayor of the Chacao Municipality of Caracas. A 2006 Los Angeles Times article describes López as an immensely popular leader of the opposition to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, as well as a...
(2000-2008) - Emilio Graterón (2008-2012)
History
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
Chacao, who died defending his territory in 1567, the year when the city of Santiago de León de Caracas was finally established after more than three decades of unsuccessful attempts by the Spanish. The chosen location for Caracas Plaza Mayor and Cathedral was on the west side of the valley, making the fertile lands of Chacao (on the mid-east side) an ideal location for agricultural crops and establishment of haciendas. Spanish conquistador Diego de Losada
Diego de Losada
Diego de Losada was a Spanish conquistador and the founder of Santiago de León de Caracas, the current capital of Venezuela.Losada was born in Rionegro del Puente, in what is now the province of Zamora. He reached Puerto Rico in 1533....
, founder of the city of Caracas, included these lands in his jurisdiction.
The township of Chacao was founded by an immigration wave of the San Bernabé earthquake victims on June 11, 1641. It was officially made a Catholic parish with the foundation of San José de Chacao church.
After repeated epidemics and calamities affected Caracas, the Town Hall and the Governor and Commander in chief of the Province, Jose Solano y Bote
Jose Solano y Bote
Don José de Solano y Bote Carrasco y Díaz , marquess of Socorro, was a Spanish Naval officer.He served an extensive career in the Spanish Navy starting at the age of 16 until his death in 1806. Shortly after joining the Spanish navy in 1742, he participated in the Battle of Toulon , where the...
, in 1764 thought about transferring the entire city to this location, an idea that was rejected by Caracas Bishop Mauro Tovar.
On April 15, 1769, the residents of Chacao asked for the creation of an independent ecclesiastical parish, Lieutenant Francisco Palacios y Sojo, made the request, after evaluating the economic conditions, the separation of Chacao from the Parish of La Candelaria was granted on September 27, 1769.
See also
- Miranda State
- CaracasCaracasCaracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
- MunicipalityMunicipalityA municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
- Venezuelan Capital DistrictVenezuelan Capital DistrictThe Capital District of Venezuela is a federal district corresponding to the capital Caracas. It has an area of 433 km² and there is only one administrative division , Libertador, which contains about half City of Caracas. It is the seat of the federal government and the head of the public...