Petare
Encyclopedia
Petare is a city in Miranda
, Venezuela
, and is part of the urban area of Caracas
. It is the located in the Sucre Municipality
, one of the five divisions of Caracas
. The city was founded in 1621 under the name of San Jose de Guanarito. It grew to become a part of the greater Caracas
area as the latter expanded in area and population.
The city is traditionally considered to be a suburb
of Caracas
, but has developed its own commercial core. Two universities are located in Petare: Universidad Santa Maria and Universidad Metropolitana
. Poverty remains a major limitation to the city's development. The population of Petare is 369,000.
In this city there are many people selling on the street called "Buhoneros", which roughly translates into Informal Salesperson. They sell many things including food, clothing, electronics, and they are always located on the side walks or even in the middle of the streets trying to sell to anyone currently on the street.
On February 17, 1621, captain Pedro de Lugo Gutiérrez and priest Gabriel Mendoza founded the town of Dulce Nombre de Jesús de Petare on a small hill surrounded by the Oro (gold) creek and the rivers Caurimare and Guaire. Precisely Petare is a word that derives from the Carib language
meaning Face to the river. The Mariches group belonging to the indigenous Carib tribe, lived in these lands until 1573, when his principal chief, Tamanaco
, died killed by Spanish conqueror Pedro Alonso Galeas. From then began the subjugation of the aborigines and the distribution of parcels by Diego de Losada
, Juan Gallegos, Sebastián Díaz Alfaro and Francisco Fajardo.
The founders, mostly from the Canary Islands
, built the village following the Spanish colonial urban planning, a central square surrounded by a church, the government buildings and the houses of the most notable families. In this the fertile valley proliferated hacienda
s of coffee, cocoa, maize and sugar cane, the latter was processed in the nearby sugar mills. These crops not only supplying food to the people of Petare, also to its neighbors villages: Bolea, Los Marrones, La Urbina, Los Ruices, El Marqués, Macaracuay and Güere-Güere.
The fertility and climate of the town attracted eminent personalities from Caracas
, Andrés Bello
, José Félix Ribas
, José Antonio Rodríguez Domínguez, Manuel de Clemente and Marquis Francisco de Berroterán, among others. The Caminos Reales (King's Highway
) also contributed to the development of the local economy. This extensive network of roads, convert the village into a stop for travelers and traders from Caracas, El Hatillo and Baruta, Guarenas
and Mariches. The social structure was composed by the slaves (africans and indians), the common people (peasants and artisans), traders and landowners. This order remained for centuries. The society was wealthy but not aristocratic, with sufficient resources to built valuables monuments, like the Church of Dulce Nombre de Jesús and the Chapel of Santa María Magdelena.
, Venezuelan law specifies that municipal governments have four main functions: executive, legislative, comptroller, and planning. The executive function is managed by the mayor
, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal comptroller
's office, which oversees accountancy
. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.
Miranda (state)
Miranda State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. It is ranked second in population among Venezuelan states, after Zulia State. In June 30, 2010, it had approximately 2,987,968 residents. It also has the greatest Human Development Index in Venezuela, according to the...
, 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...
, and is part of the urban area of Caracas
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...
. It is the located in the Sucre Municipality
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...
, one of the five divisions of Caracas
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...
. The city was founded in 1621 under the name of San Jose de Guanarito. It grew to become a part of the greater Caracas
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...
area as the latter expanded in area and population.
The city is traditionally considered to be a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Caracas
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...
, but has developed its own commercial core. Two universities are located in Petare: Universidad Santa Maria and Universidad Metropolitana
Universidad Metropolitana
The Metropolitan University was founded in 1970 by a group of entrepreneurs led by Eugenio Mendoza Goiticoa in the terrains donated by the businessman Pius Schlageter, father of the venezuelan painter Eduardo Schlageter. It is located in the city of Caracas, Venezuela, near Petare.Today, the...
. Poverty remains a major limitation to the city's development. The population of Petare is 369,000.
In this city there are many people selling on the street called "Buhoneros", which roughly translates into Informal Salesperson. They sell many things including food, clothing, electronics, and they are always located on the side walks or even in the middle of the streets trying to sell to anyone currently on the street.
Colonial period
Carib language
Carib, also known as Caribe, Cariña, Galibi, Galibí, Kali'na, Kalihna, Kalinya, Galibi Carib, Maraworno and Marworno, is an Amerindian language in the Cariban language family....
meaning Face to the river. The Mariches group belonging to the indigenous Carib tribe, lived in these lands until 1573, when his principal chief, Tamanaco
Tamanaco
Tamanaco was a native Venezuelan chief, who as leader of the Mariches and Quiriquires tribes led during part of the 16th century the resistance against the Spanish conquest of Venezuelan territory in the central region of the country, specially in the Caracas valley...
, died killed by Spanish conqueror Pedro Alonso Galeas. From then began the subjugation of the aborigines and the distribution of parcels by 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....
, Juan Gallegos, Sebastián Díaz Alfaro and Francisco Fajardo.
The founders, mostly from the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, built the village following the Spanish colonial urban planning, a central square surrounded by a church, the government buildings and the houses of the most notable families. In this the fertile valley proliferated hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
s of coffee, cocoa, maize and sugar cane, the latter was processed in the nearby sugar mills. These crops not only supplying food to the people of Petare, also to its neighbors villages: Bolea, Los Marrones, La Urbina, Los Ruices, El Marqués, Macaracuay and Güere-Güere.
The fertility and climate of the town attracted eminent personalities from Caracas
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...
, Andrés Bello
Andrés Bello
Andrés de Jesús María y José Bello López was a Venezuelan humanist, poet, lawmaker, philosopher, educator and philologist, whose political and literary works constitute an important part of Spanish American culture...
, José Félix Ribas
José Félix Ribas
José Félix Ribas , was a Venezuelan independence leader and hero of the Venezuelan War of Independence.-Early life:Ribas was the last of eleven sons, born to a prominent Caracas family. In his early years, he received a quality education and attended the city's seminary. After finishing his...
, José Antonio Rodríguez Domínguez, Manuel de Clemente and Marquis Francisco de Berroterán, among others. The Caminos Reales (King's Highway
King's Highway
King's Highway or Kings Highway may refer to:* King's Highway an ancient trade route from Egypt to Syria* Kings Highway , Australia* King's Highway , United States* King's Highway King's Highway or Kings Highway may refer to:* King's Highway (ancient) an ancient trade route from Egypt to Syria*...
) also contributed to the development of the local economy. This extensive network of roads, convert the village into a stop for travelers and traders from Caracas, El Hatillo and Baruta, Guarenas
Guarenas
Guarenas is a city in Miranda, Venezuela. It was established in 1621 as Nuestra Señora de Copacabana de los Guarenas. On February 27, 1989, a morning protest in this city over the recent nationwide hike in bus fares, spread to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, which resulted in several days of...
and Mariches. The social structure was composed by the slaves (africans and indians), the common people (peasants and artisans), traders and landowners. This order remained for centuries. The society was wealthy but not aristocratic, with sufficient resources to built valuables monuments, like the Church of Dulce Nombre de Jesús and the Chapel of Santa María Magdelena.
Law and government
Petare has one municipality: Sucre MunicipalitySucre 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...
, Venezuelan law specifies that municipal governments have four main functions: executive, legislative, comptroller, and planning. The executive function is managed by the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
's office, which oversees accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.