Valle del Cauca Department
Encyclopedia
Valle del Cauca (ˈbaʎe ðel ˈkauka) is a department
of Colombia
. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia
. Its capital is Santiago de Cali
. Given its privileged location, lately it has been considered as the Pacific Door of Colombia
.
Besides Cali
such cities as Buenaventura, Cartago
and Tulua
have great economical, political, social and cultural influence on the department's life. Valle del Cauca has the largest number of independent towns (i.e. not in Metropolitan areas) with over 100,000 inhabitants in the country, counting 6 within its borders. Buenaventura
has the largest and busiest seaport in Colombia
, moving about 8,500,000 tons of merchandises.
some (40,000 – 10,500 years ago), the valleys of "El Dorado" and "Alto Calima" had Andean forest and Sub Andean vegetation. The discovery of projectiles indicated that there were communities of hunter-gatherers to the end of the Pleistocene
and the beginning of the Holocene
.The extinguishing of the Pleistocenic megafauna in the beginning of the Holocene pushes humans to adapt to their new environment, making them turn into hunter-gatherers. In the lower basin of the Calima River (Sauzalito River, El Recreo River and El Pital River) archaeologists found the oldest hunter-gatherers vestiges that inhabited the Valley of the Cauca River
. According to these, in 5000 BC these societies already had some level of primitive agriculture and cultivated maize. There is little information about the years between 3000 and 1500 ABC.
and Darien
called Ilama Culture. Its society had a social structure of Cacicazgos (chiefdoms) that prevailed until the arrival of the Spaniards
. The economy of Ilama was based in migratory agriculture using maize, yuca, beans, hunting, fishing, textile confectioning and metallurgy. The Chief or "Cacique" was the head of the settlement and also had "chamanes" (spiritual leaders), warriors, farmers, hunters, pottery men, and goldsmiths. By 100 AD the Ilamas had developed into the Yotoco Culture which expanded the region of the Ilamas further into the Cauca River and the Pacific Ocean and to the south to the region of what is now the city of Cali
.
The Yotocos prevailed in the region until 1200 AD and were a highly stratified society headed by caciques which managed several settlements. The population had increased, forcing them to develop effective agricultural techniques to feed its population which also improved the techniques on pottery and metal works. The agriculture of the Yotocos was more varied than that of the Ilamas and was based on maize, yuca
, beans, arracacha
, achiote
among others. The Yotoco started declining in the 6th century AD.
in an expedition that came from Quito
and was headed by Sebastián de Belalcázar
. In the Valle del Cauca the explorers founded the village of Villa de Ampudia named after one of them called Juan de Ampudia
. By orders of Belalcazar the village is then moved to the Riviera of the Cauca River within the Gorrones Indigenous peoples territory. In 1536 a Captain last named Muñoz orders the city to be moved to the Valley were the Village of Cali
was founded on 25 July of that same year. Another Spanish explorer coming from the village of Cartagena de Indias named Juan de Vadillo commanded a second group of explorers and entered Cali on 23 December 1538, but he returned to Cartagena leaving many of his men behind including Pedro Cieza de León 1967. A third group of explorers led by Almirant Jorge Robledo under orders of Lorenzo de Aldana advanced to the North of the Valle del Cauca and founded the villages of Anserma
(now part of Caldas Department
) on 15 August 1539; Cartago on 9 August 1540 and the village of Antioquia
on 25 November 1541 and under command of Pascual de Andagoya
who arrived from Panama
to Cali with a fourth group of explorers.
and Quindío
, the department of Cauca
to the south, Tolima to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west as well as the department Chocó
. The valley is geographically limited by the Central and Western mountain ranges and is 'bathed' by numerous rivers which empty into the Cauca River
. The department is divided into four zones: the Pacific Fringe, which is humid and mostly jungle; the western mountain range, also humid and full of jungle, heavily deforested due to the paper industry; The Andean valley of the Cauca river, whose surrounding lands are the most fertile of the country; and the western ridge of the central mountain range. The anthem of Valle del Cauca is "Salve Valle del Cauca, mi tierra" ("Hail Valley of the Cauca, my land").
. It was here and in Tolima that Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, better known by the acronym FARC-EP, were founded in 1964, following the aftermath of La Violencia
. Valle del Cauca is considered part of the guerrillas' traditional 'heartland', which stretches across southern Colombia to Vichada
in the east. In the 1970's the cultivation of illegal crops like coca (and the subsequent production of Cocaine) led to the rise of the Cali Cartel
and the financial strengthening of the right-wing paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia. In the 1980's the FARC became became indirectly engaged in the drug trade through taxation of farmers, which quickly led to an escalation of the conflict between all parts involved. In the 1990's the department saw a number of displacement crises as tens of thousands of civilians, the majority of them of afro-colombian and indigenous descent, were forced to flee the fighting between guerrillas, the army, paramilitaries and drug traffickers. The gradual downfall of the Cali Cartel and the demobilization of AUC between 2004 and 2006 led to a shift in the fighting in Valle del Cauca. Drug traffickers reorganized into smaller, more numerous and more effective 'micro-cartels', while certain paramilitaries re-organized into 'neo-paramilitary' groups, referred to as 'BACRIM', or emergent criminal bands, by the government. The fracturing of the former paramilitary enemy allowed FARC and Ejército de Liberación Nacional to reclaim lost territory in the valley.
, which ended in 2009, and a number of attacks against military and civilian targets, including the bomb attacks against Cali's Palace of justice in 2008, 2010 and 2011. The Colombian army in the department has also recently been criticized for allegedly offering rewards to children for acting as informants, which the United Nations says puts the life of the children at risk. In 2010 and 2011 the colombian army said they were attempting to put pressure on the FARC:s sixth front in the rural zone between Jamundí, Tuluá and Tolima, which the army alleges is being used as a drug trafficking corridor by the guerrilla. The FARC has answered to the military offensive by launching attacks on security forces, private companies and public works all over the department. In 2011 reports emerged suggesting that the FARC:s supreme leader Alfonso Cano
has relocated his headquarters to Valle del Cauca.
After the fall of the Cali cartel it has been suspected that the 'neo-paramilitary' group Los Rastrojos
has taken over as the main drug trafficking group in Valle del Cauca. In 2011 certain commentators expressed concern about the arrival of Colombia's second largest paramilitary group Los Urabeños, traditionally considered a group from northern Colombia. The fighting between the two groups has sparked a 'mafia war' in 2011, which has led to a sharp increase in murder rates in cities like Cali. Between January and March of 2011 Cali saw 448 homicides, which is considered a 15% increase from 2010. it is suspected that the fighting between the two criminal groups is responsible for at least 80 of these murders, and commentators are concerned because it appears that the violence is 'indiscriminate' and often directed towards civilians.
In May 2011 the BBC
reported that much of the cocaine that leaves Colombia from the Caribbean coast has its origin in Valle del Cauca. According to several reports Los Rastrojos are involved in production and distribution of the drug, which threatens to further escalate the war between them and the FARC in Valle del Cauca.
in which there are three branches of power; judicial, executive and legislative with control institutions at government level. The executive branch in Valle del Department is represented by the Governor of Valle del Cauca Department
, the legislative branch is represented by the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca
and its deputies and the judicial is represented by the four department level of the Judicial Branch of Colombia
; Superior Tribunal of Cali, Penal Court of the Circuit of Cali, the Administrative Tribunal of Valle del Cauca and Superior Military Tribunal for military cases. Valle del Cauca Department has 42 municipalities, each one having a mayor which is a popularly elected representative of the governor.
, cotton, soy, and sorghum
crops and Coffee crops in the mountains. The department is known for its sugar industry, which provides sugar to the markets of the rest of the country and nearby countries. The sugar is obtained from the large sugar cane plantations, which were introduced to the department by Sebastián de Belalcázar
. The production by the city of Yumbo also stands out, where several companies are found, most prominently the paper and cement businesses. The port at Buenaventura
is Colombia's main port on the Pacific coast, allowing for the import and export of goods, and is of great importance for the economy of both the department and the country.
de gallina, a stew made with an old hen, potatoes, yucca, corn and other ingredients; the characteristic flavor comes from a herb called cimarron or recao (Eryngium foetidum
).
Population of towns over 100,000 inhabitants (Not metropolitan areas):
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...
of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. Its capital is Santiago de Cali
Santiago de Cali
Santiago de Cali , simply referred to as Cali, is a city in western Colombia and the capital of the Valle del Cauca Department. With a population of 2.5 million, Cali is the third largest city in the country. It has one of the fastest growing economies and infrastructure in the country because...
. Given its privileged location, lately it has been considered as the Pacific Door of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
Besides Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
such cities as Buenaventura, Cartago
Cartago, Valle del Cauca
Cartago is a city in southwestern Colombia, about 187 miles west of Bogotá. It is in the extreme northern portion of the Valle del Cauca Department. It is located very close to the city of Pereira, about a 20 minute drive. It is the fourth largest city in Valle after Cali, Palmira, and Tuluá...
and Tulua
Tuluá
Tuluá is a city located in the heart of the Cauca Valley, Colombia Valle del Cauca, Colombia. A major industrial and commercial center, it is the region's fourth largest city after Cali, the department capital, Buenaventura and Palmira. Founded around 1741 by Juan de Lemos y Aguirre, it has a...
have great economical, political, social and cultural influence on the department's life. Valle del Cauca has the largest number of independent towns (i.e. not in Metropolitan areas) with over 100,000 inhabitants in the country, counting 6 within its borders. Buenaventura
Buenaventura
-Myths and legends:*Buenaventura River , a legendary but non-existent river that was once believed to run from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in what is now the western United States-People:...
has the largest and busiest seaport in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, moving about 8,500,000 tons of merchandises.
History
Hunter gatherer societies
Palinological analysis performed by experts have determined that during the Superior PleistocenePleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
some (40,000 – 10,500 years ago), the valleys of "El Dorado" and "Alto Calima" had Andean forest and Sub Andean vegetation. The discovery of projectiles indicated that there were communities of hunter-gatherers to the end of the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
and the beginning of the Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
.The extinguishing of the Pleistocenic megafauna in the beginning of the Holocene pushes humans to adapt to their new environment, making them turn into hunter-gatherers. In the lower basin of the Calima River (Sauzalito River, El Recreo River and El Pital River) archaeologists found the oldest hunter-gatherers vestiges that inhabited the Valley of the Cauca River
Cauca River
The Cauca River is a river in Colombia that lies between the Occidental and Central cordilleras. Born in southwestern Colombia near the city of Popayán, it joins the Magdalena River near Pinillos in Bolívar Department, and the combined river eventually flows out into the Caribbean Sea. It has a...
. According to these, in 5000 BC these societies already had some level of primitive agriculture and cultivated maize. There is little information about the years between 3000 and 1500 ABC.
Agricultural-Pottery societies (1500 BC – 600 AD)
In 1500 BC the first Agricultural-Pottery society appears extending along the Calima River (in what is nowadays the towns of RestrepoRestrepo, Valle del Cauca
Restrepo is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. It was founded December 1st, 1913 by Julio Fernandez Medina, Anselmo Rendon Nicanor Grisales and other settlers. It has been a Municipality since April 3, 1925, under Ordinance No. 030 of the Departmental...
and Darien
Calima, Valle del Cauca
Calima is a municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Its main urban area is the town of Darién....
called Ilama Culture. Its society had a social structure of Cacicazgos (chiefdoms) that prevailed until the arrival of the Spaniards
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
. The economy of Ilama was based in migratory agriculture using maize, yuca, beans, hunting, fishing, textile confectioning and metallurgy. The Chief or "Cacique" was the head of the settlement and also had "chamanes" (spiritual leaders), warriors, farmers, hunters, pottery men, and goldsmiths. By 100 AD the Ilamas had developed into the Yotoco Culture which expanded the region of the Ilamas further into the Cauca River and the Pacific Ocean and to the south to the region of what is now the city of Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
.
The Yotocos prevailed in the region until 1200 AD and were a highly stratified society headed by caciques which managed several settlements. The population had increased, forcing them to develop effective agricultural techniques to feed its population which also improved the techniques on pottery and metal works. The agriculture of the Yotocos was more varied than that of the Ilamas and was based on maize, yuca
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, beans, arracacha
Arracacha
The arracacha is a garden root vegetable originally from the Andes, somewhat intermediate between the carrot and celery...
, achiote
Achiote
Achiote is a shrub or small tree from the tropical region of the Americas. The name derives from the Nahuatl word for the shrub, achiotl. It is also known as Aploppas, and its original Tupi name urucu. It is cultivated there and in Southeast Asia, where it was introduced by the Spanish in the...
among others. The Yotoco started declining in the 6th century AD.
Agricultural-pottery in Pre Columbia era (600–1600)
This archeological period is called Late and is divided into Late Period I (6th to 13th centuries) and Late Period II (14th to 16th Centuries). In the Late period I the region of Valle del Cauca was inhabited by the Early Sonso Culture, Bolo, Sachamate and La Llanada. During the Late Period II the region was inhabited by the Late Sonso Culture, Pichinde, Buga and Quebrada Seca. Their development is attributed to the growth of population and the almost all the settlers in the area became subject to the rule of one main Cacique."Discovery" by Spaniards and Conquest
The first Spanish 67 explorers arrived in the area after founding the village of PopayánPopayán
Popayán is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between Colombia's Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range...
in an expedition that came from Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
and was headed by Sebastián de Belalcázar
Sebastián de Belalcázar
Sebastián de Belalcázar was a Spanish conquistador.-Early life:He was born Sebastián Moyano in the province of Córdoba, Spain, in either 1479 or 1480. He took the name Belalcázar as that was the name of the castle-town near to his birthplace in Córdoba...
. In the Valle del Cauca the explorers founded the village of Villa de Ampudia named after one of them called Juan de Ampudia
Juan de Ampudia
Captain Juan de Ampudia was a Spanish explorer and conquistador.He was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. He participated in the Spanish founding of many towns and cities...
. By orders of Belalcazar the village is then moved to the Riviera of the Cauca River within the Gorrones Indigenous peoples territory. In 1536 a Captain last named Muñoz orders the city to be moved to the Valley were the Village of Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
was founded on 25 July of that same year. Another Spanish explorer coming from the village of Cartagena de Indias named Juan de Vadillo commanded a second group of explorers and entered Cali on 23 December 1538, but he returned to Cartagena leaving many of his men behind including Pedro Cieza de León 1967. A third group of explorers led by Almirant Jorge Robledo under orders of Lorenzo de Aldana advanced to the North of the Valle del Cauca and founded the villages of Anserma
Anserma, Caldas
Anserma is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Caldas.* *...
(now part of Caldas Department
Caldas Department
Caldas is a department of Colombia named after Colombian patriotic figure Francisco José de Caldas. It's part of the Paisa Region and its capital is Manizales. The population of Caldas is 1,030,062, and its area is 7,291 km²...
) on 15 August 1539; Cartago on 9 August 1540 and the village of Antioquia
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
on 25 November 1541 and under command of Pascual de Andagoya
Pascual de Andagoya
Pascual de Andagoya was a Spanish Basque conquistador. He was born in the village of Andagoya, in the valley of Cuartango , in Spain....
who arrived from Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
to Cali with a fourth group of explorers.
Department of Valle del Cauca
The Department of Valle del Cauca was created by decree number 340 April 16, 1910 which also created 12 other departments for Colombia. The Valle del Cauca Department was a result of the union of four former departments; Cartago, Buga, and Cali.Geography
The department of Valle del Cauca is located on the western part of the country, between 3° 05’ and 5° 01’ latitude N, 75° 42’ and 77° 33’ longitude W. Its limits to the north border the departments of RisaraldaRisaralda Department
Risaralda is a department of Colombia. It is located in the western central region of the country and part of the Paisa Region. Its capital is Pereira.It was divided from the department of Caldas in 1966...
and Quindío
Quindío Department
Quindío is a department of Colombia. It is in the western central region of the country, crossed by the Andes mountains. Its capital is Armenia. It is famous for the quality of the coffee plantations, colorful architecture, benign weather, variety of hotel accommodations and touristic landmarks...
, the department of Cauca
Cauca Department
Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of...
to the south, Tolima to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west as well as the department Chocó
Chocó Department
Chocó is a department of Colombia known for its large Afro-Colombian population. It is in the west of the country, and is the only Colombian department to have coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It also has all of Colombia's border with Panama. Its capital is...
. The valley is geographically limited by the Central and Western mountain ranges and is 'bathed' by numerous rivers which empty into the Cauca River
Cauca River
The Cauca River is a river in Colombia that lies between the Occidental and Central cordilleras. Born in southwestern Colombia near the city of Popayán, it joins the Magdalena River near Pinillos in Bolívar Department, and the combined river eventually flows out into the Caribbean Sea. It has a...
. The department is divided into four zones: the Pacific Fringe, which is humid and mostly jungle; the western mountain range, also humid and full of jungle, heavily deforested due to the paper industry; The Andean valley of the Cauca river, whose surrounding lands are the most fertile of the country; and the western ridge of the central mountain range. The anthem of Valle del Cauca is "Salve Valle del Cauca, mi tierra" ("Hail Valley of the Cauca, my land").
Impact of the armed conflict and drug trade on civilians
Valle del Cauca has long been considered one of the 'epicenters' of the Colombian armed conflictColombian Armed Conflict
The Colombian armed conflict or Colombian Civil War are terms that are employed to refer to the current asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict in Colombia that has existed since approximately 1964 or 1966, between the Colombian government and peasant guerrillas such as the Revolutionary Armed...
. It was here and in Tolima that Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, better known by the acronym FARC-EP, were founded in 1964, following the aftermath of La Violencia
La Violencia
La Violencia is a period of civil conflict in the Colombian countryside between supporters of the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 ....
. Valle del Cauca is considered part of the guerrillas' traditional 'heartland', which stretches across southern Colombia to Vichada
Vichada
Vichada may refer to:*Department of Vichada, a subdivision of Colombia*Vichada River, a river in eastern Colombia...
in the east. In the 1970's the cultivation of illegal crops like coca (and the subsequent production of Cocaine) led to the rise of the Cali Cartel
Cali Cartel
The Cali Cartel was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca Department. The Cali Cartel was founded by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, as well as associate José Santacruz Londoño...
and the financial strengthening of the right-wing paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia. In the 1980's the FARC became became indirectly engaged in the drug trade through taxation of farmers, which quickly led to an escalation of the conflict between all parts involved. In the 1990's the department saw a number of displacement crises as tens of thousands of civilians, the majority of them of afro-colombian and indigenous descent, were forced to flee the fighting between guerrillas, the army, paramilitaries and drug traffickers. The gradual downfall of the Cali Cartel and the demobilization of AUC between 2004 and 2006 led to a shift in the fighting in Valle del Cauca. Drug traffickers reorganized into smaller, more numerous and more effective 'micro-cartels', while certain paramilitaries re-organized into 'neo-paramilitary' groups, referred to as 'BACRIM', or emergent criminal bands, by the government. The fracturing of the former paramilitary enemy allowed FARC and Ejército de Liberación Nacional to reclaim lost territory in the valley.
Armed conflict between 2007 and 2011
The battles between guerrillas, the army, 'neo-paramilitaries' and drug traffickers has killed thousands and, according to some estimates, displaced some 150,000 civilians between 2007 and 2011 in Valle del Cauca alone. The FARC are reported to have a 'significant presence' in the department as of 2011. The largest concentration of guerrillas are reportedly located on the border areas with Tolima, Cauca and Chocó, in addition to the urban militias ('milicias') in traditional FARC strongholds such as Cali, Buenaventura and Jamundí. These FARC militias are thought to number some 1,000 to 1,500 in the department as of 2011, in addition to an undisclosed or unknown number of regular guerrillas. The FARC has been criticized for a number of alleged human rights abuses, such as their handling of the Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisisValle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis
The Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis refers to the kidnapping of 12 Deputies of the Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia, on April 12, 2002 by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to pressure a prisoner exhange between them and the government and to negotiate the...
, which ended in 2009, and a number of attacks against military and civilian targets, including the bomb attacks against Cali's Palace of justice in 2008, 2010 and 2011. The Colombian army in the department has also recently been criticized for allegedly offering rewards to children for acting as informants, which the United Nations says puts the life of the children at risk. In 2010 and 2011 the colombian army said they were attempting to put pressure on the FARC:s sixth front in the rural zone between Jamundí, Tuluá and Tolima, which the army alleges is being used as a drug trafficking corridor by the guerrilla. The FARC has answered to the military offensive by launching attacks on security forces, private companies and public works all over the department. In 2011 reports emerged suggesting that the FARC:s supreme leader Alfonso Cano
Alfonso Cano
Guillermo León Sáenz Vargas , more commonly known by his nom de guerre Alfonso Cano was the commander of the militant group known as Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia...
has relocated his headquarters to Valle del Cauca.
After the fall of the Cali cartel it has been suspected that the 'neo-paramilitary' group Los Rastrojos
Los Rastrojos
Los Rastrojos is a Colombian neo-paramilitary, armed group engaged in the Colombian armed conflict...
has taken over as the main drug trafficking group in Valle del Cauca. In 2011 certain commentators expressed concern about the arrival of Colombia's second largest paramilitary group Los Urabeños, traditionally considered a group from northern Colombia. The fighting between the two groups has sparked a 'mafia war' in 2011, which has led to a sharp increase in murder rates in cities like Cali. Between January and March of 2011 Cali saw 448 homicides, which is considered a 15% increase from 2010. it is suspected that the fighting between the two criminal groups is responsible for at least 80 of these murders, and commentators are concerned because it appears that the violence is 'indiscriminate' and often directed towards civilians.
In May 2011 the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported that much of the cocaine that leaves Colombia from the Caribbean coast has its origin in Valle del Cauca. According to several reports Los Rastrojos are involved in production and distribution of the drug, which threatens to further escalate the war between them and the FARC in Valle del Cauca.
Government
The government of Valle del Cauca is similarly set up as the Government of ColombiaGovernment of Colombia
The government of Colombiais a republic with separation of powers into executive, judicial and legislative branches.Its legislature has a congress,its judiciary has a supreme court, andits executive branch has a president....
in which there are three branches of power; judicial, executive and legislative with control institutions at government level. The executive branch in Valle del Department is represented by the Governor of Valle del Cauca Department
Governor of Valle del Cauca Department
The Governor of Valle del Cauca is the maximum administrative and political authority in the Colombian department of Valle del Cauca. This political official is elected by popular vote by means of a simple majority system and for a period of four years...
, the legislative branch is represented by the Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca
Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca
The Department Assembly of Valle del Cauca is the department assembly of the Colombian Department of Valle del Cauca. The assembly is part of the Colombian legislative branch of government at a Provincial level and its main function is to debate, approve or change the local ordinances.-History:The...
and its deputies and the judicial is represented by the four department level of the Judicial Branch of Colombia
Judicial Branch of Colombia
Judicial Branch of Government of Colombia is the system of courts in Republic of Colombia which administer justice in the name of the state as a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. The judicial branch encompasses judges, magistrates and other adjudicators who form the core of a judiciary, as...
; Superior Tribunal of Cali, Penal Court of the Circuit of Cali, the Administrative Tribunal of Valle del Cauca and Superior Military Tribunal for military cases. Valle del Cauca Department has 42 municipalities, each one having a mayor which is a popularly elected representative of the governor.
Municipalities
- AlcaláAlcalá, Valle del CaucaAlcalá is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.-External links:...
- AndalucíaAndalucía, Valle del CaucaAndalucía is a town and municipality located in the north of the Department of Valle del Cauca, in Colombia.-External links:...
- AnsermanuevoAnsermanuevoAnsermanuevo is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- ArgeliaArgelia, Valle del CaucaArgelia is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The main means of income for this region is coffee....
- BolívarBolívar, Valle del CaucaBolívar is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- BuenaventuraBuenaventura, ColombiaBuenaventura is a port city and municipality located in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia . Buenaventura is the main port of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean....
- BugaBuga, Valle del CaucaBuga formally Guadalajara de Buga is a city and municipality in the Valle del Cauca department of Colombia. It is famous for its Basilica del Señor de los Milagros, which houses an image of Christ called El Señor de los Milagros .-History:Guadalajara de Buga is one of the oldest cities in...
- BugalagrandeBugalagrandeBugalagrande is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- CaicedoniaCaicedoniaCaicedonia is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, situated about 172 km from the capital Cali. Founded in 1910 by Daniel Gutierrez, Juan Bautista Angely and a group of settlers from Antioqueño Caldenses and Tolima, it was named after Dr. Lisandro...
- CaliCalìCalì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
- CalimaCalima, Valle del CaucaCalima is a municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Its main urban area is the town of Darién....
- CandelariaCandelaria, Valle del CaucaCandelaria is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- CartagoCartago, Valle del CaucaCartago is a city in southwestern Colombia, about 187 miles west of Bogotá. It is in the extreme northern portion of the Valle del Cauca Department. It is located very close to the city of Pereira, about a 20 minute drive. It is the fourth largest city in Valle after Cali, Palmira, and Tuluá...
- DaguaDaguaDagua is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.- Corregimientos :1. Santa María2. El Salado3. El Chilcal4. Providencia5. El Danubio6. La Cascada7. La Elsa8. El Queremal9. El Limonar10. Los Alpes...
- El AguilaEl Aguila, Valle del CaucaEl Aguila is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- El CairoEl CairoEl Cairo is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- El CerritoEl Cerrito, Valle del CaucaEl Cerrito is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. This is one of the 42 municipalities of the department....
- El DovioEl DovioEl Dovio is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- FloridaFlorida, Valle del CaucaFlorida is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.Its first inhabitants: indigenous peoples, mestizos, afro-Latinos and mulattos, established a new and vibrant home to a mix of the many cultures existent in the South-Eastern region of Valle del Cauca...
- GinebraGinebra, Valle del CaucaGinebra is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- GuacariGuacariGuacarí is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- JamundíJamundíJamundí is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.Jamundí is located 23 km south of Cali, the capital of the Department, Valle del Cauca. The average Temperature is 23 grades Celsius.Foundation...
- La CumbreLa Cumbre, Valle del CaucaLa Cumbre is a colombian town and municipality, next to Santiago de Cali, in the Valle del Cauca Department. Is one of the 42 little towns of the departament...
- La UniónLa Unión, Valle del CaucaLa Unión is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.-External links:...
- La VictoriaLa Victoria, Valle del CaucaLa Victoria is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- ObandoObando, Valle del CaucaObando is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- PalmiraPalmiraPalmira is a city and municipality in southwestern Colombia in the department of Valle del Cauca, located about east from Cali, the department's capital and main city.-Geography :...
- PraderaPraderaPradera is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.The FARC requested this municipality together with Florida, Valle del Cauca as free areas for them to operate in order to start the negotiation to exchange 44 hostages they had, at the time of their request,...
- RestrepoRestrepo, Valle del CaucaRestrepo is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. It was founded December 1st, 1913 by Julio Fernandez Medina, Anselmo Rendon Nicanor Grisales and other settlers. It has been a Municipality since April 3, 1925, under Ordinance No. 030 of the Departmental...
- RiofrioRiofrioRiofrio is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- RoldanilloRoldanilloRoldanillo is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.TurismMuseo Rayo Museum rayo...
- San PedroSan Pedro, Valle del CaucaSan Pedro is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Founded by Jorge de Herrera y Gaitán in 1797. Its first inhabitants were indians called Chancos, who fought against the forces sent by Belarcarzal until well into the early eighteen hundreds.Tulua Indians...
- SevillaSevilla, Valle del CaucaSevilla is a town and municipality in the Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia. Widely recognized and famous as one of the best Colombian coffee producers...
- ToroToro, Valle del CaucaToro is a city and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. http://www.toro-valle.com Pagina Municipality On the road north of the department is Toro, founded on June 3, 1573 territory of warm weather...
- TrujilloTrujillo, Valle del CaucaTrujillo is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.-External links:*...
- TuluáTuluáTuluá is a city located in the heart of the Cauca Valley, Colombia Valle del Cauca, Colombia. A major industrial and commercial center, it is the region's fourth largest city after Cali, the department capital, Buenaventura and Palmira. Founded around 1741 by Juan de Lemos y Aguirre, it has a...
- UlloaUlloa- Places :* the municipality Ulloa in Colombia* the region A Ulloa in Galicia- Persons :* the football referee Berny Ulloa* the football player Fabio Ulloa* the accordionist Francisco Ulloa...
- VersallesVersallesVersalles is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- VijesVijesVijes is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- YotocoYotocoYotoco is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia....
- YumboYumboYumbo is a small, industrial city and municipality located in western Colombia. It is located in the Valle del Cauca department, just north of Cali...
- ZarzalZarzalZarzal is a town and municipality located in the north of the department of Valle del Cauca, in Colombia. Its economy is based primarily on the extensive cultivation of sugar cane, on small and medium enterprises in the metallurgic sector and on utilities. Commerce is also of great importance,...
Department's agencies and institutions
- Universidad del Valle (University – Multiple Campuses)University of ValleThe University of Valle , also called Univalle, is a public, departmental, coeducational, research university based primarily in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. It is the largest higher education institution by student population in the southwest of the country, and the third in...
: Univalle is one of the largest and most respected universities in Colombia. It is entirely funded by the government. - Hospital Universitario (University Health Centre)] : The University Health Centre of Valle is a level 4 hospital, located in the heart of Cali. Its E.R and traumatology centres are ranked among the country's busiest and most well trained. In Colombia, hospitals rank between level 1 and 4. 1 being the one's with the most basic services, and 4 those with full services and facilities.
- Acuavalle (Department's water management and rural water supply Agency)
- Bellas Artes (Fine Arts School) : Until the 80's it was Colombia's most admired Arts School. Due to funding reductions and other problems, its influence gradually disappeared.
- Beneficiencia del Valle (Department's Lottery) : Currently, the biggest prize awarded is 1.200.000.000$ COP (about 500.000$ USD). In the Colombian system, regional lottery agencies run their own programs and prizes. Departments' budgets are largely funded by lottery agencies transfers.
- Infivalle (Department's financial agency)
- Indervalle (Department's sports Institution)
- Industria de Licores (Department's Liquor Company) : Aguardiente Blanco del Valle is the main product made by the company.
- Telepacifico (Regional TV channel)
- Incolballet (School of Ballet of Colombia)
- Bibliovalle (Libraries Network) : The Department runs a network of libraries in municipalities with no resources to run their owns. The Central Department's library is located in Cali into the Rodrigo Lloreda Caicedo Science Center.
Economy
The department's economy is mainly centered on agriculture. In its valley it has sugar caneSugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, cotton, soy, and sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
crops and Coffee crops in the mountains. The department is known for its sugar industry, which provides sugar to the markets of the rest of the country and nearby countries. The sugar is obtained from the large sugar cane plantations, which were introduced to the department by Sebastián de Belalcázar
Sebastián de Belalcázar
Sebastián de Belalcázar was a Spanish conquistador.-Early life:He was born Sebastián Moyano in the province of Córdoba, Spain, in either 1479 or 1480. He took the name Belalcázar as that was the name of the castle-town near to his birthplace in Córdoba...
. The production by the city of Yumbo also stands out, where several companies are found, most prominently the paper and cement businesses. The port at Buenaventura
Buenaventura, Colombia
Buenaventura is a port city and municipality located in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia . Buenaventura is the main port of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean....
is Colombia's main port on the Pacific coast, allowing for the import and export of goods, and is of great importance for the economy of both the department and the country.
Demographics
More than 80% of the population lives in cities or towns. The coverage of public services is among the highest in the country, with electrical power and education standing out the most. The food most closely associated with the department is sancochoSancocho
Sancocho is a traditional soup in several Spanish and Latin American cuisines. Variations represent popular national dishes in the Canary Islands of Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela...
de gallina, a stew made with an old hen, potatoes, yucca, corn and other ingredients; the characteristic flavor comes from a herb called cimarron or recao (Eryngium foetidum
Eryngium foetidum
Eryngium foetidum is a tropical perennial and annual herb in the family Apiaceae. It is native to Mexico and South America but is cultivated worldwide...
).
Population
The capital of the department is Santiago de Cali, with approximately 2,800,000 inhabitants, was founded by Sebastián de Belalcázar in 1536. It is made up of 42 municipalities, the most populous being, from north to south, Cartago (Famous for its craftsmanship, its embroidery and for the "Casa del Virrey", House of the Viceroy), Roldanillo (Venue of the museum on the artist Omar Rayo), Tuluá (Located in the middle of the department), Yumbo (Industrial capital of the department venue for more than 2000 Industries of various types), Ginebra, Palmira, Buga and Jamundí.Population of towns over 100,000 inhabitants (Not metropolitan areas):
| Town | Female | Male | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cali | 1,095.850 | 979,530 | 2,075,380 |
| Buenaventura | 167,972 | 156,235 | 324,207 |
| Buga | 57,635 | 53,852 | 111,847 |
| Cartago | 64,209 | 57,532 | 121,741 |
| Palmira | 144,582 | 133,776 | 278,258 |
| Tulua | 95,922 | 87,314 | 183,236 |