Pariaguán
Town
Nickname(s):  Pariaguán, Tierra Soñada (Pariaguán, Dreamed Land)
Country	Venezuela
State	Anzoátegui
Municipality	Francisco de Miranda
Founded	21 June 1744
Government
• Mayor	Ángel Vásquez (PSUV)
Area
• Total	457 km2 (176 sq mi)
Elevation	223 m (732 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	69,618
Demonym	Pariaguanense
Time zone	UTC-4:00 (VET)
Postal code	6052
Area code	0283

Pariaguán is a town in southern Anzoátegui state, Venezuela. It is the capital of Francisco de Miranda Municipality. The town lies on one of the driest plateaus in Venezuela,^[2][3] the central-eastern plateau known as the Mesa de Guanipa. Pariaguán is regarded as the heart of the Orinoco Oil Belt, hosting the main office of the Junín Block of the state-owned oil company PDVSA,^[4] and serves as a connection point to the most important operational areas of that state company located in José Gregorio Monagas Municipality.^[5]

Pariaguán has been known by several names over time: Unare, Cabeceras de Unare ("Headwaters of Unare"), Cabeceras de Pariaguán and Santo Cristo de Pariaguán. Tradition attributes the name to the indigenous founder Pariagua, whose name acquired a final "n" to make it more euphonic to Spanish speakers.

One version suggests the name derives from the phrase [Parí a Juan] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("I gave birth to Juan"), in reference to the birth of Paubia, who took the name Juan del Rosario upon baptism. Another version links the name to the great chief Pariaguán, successor of the chief Yavire.

Supporting this, before the town adopted the name, the Pariaguán river was already known by that name in 1754. When Father Hinostroza founded the settlement in 1744, he travelled to "the place of Pariaguán". According to some interpretations, the word Pariaguán means "man of the sea" in an indigenous language.^[6]

The territory of present-day Pariaguán, part of Anzoátegui state, formed part of the continent known as Abya Yala (the Americas) before the arrival of the Spanish in 1492. During the colonial period it formed part of the Province of Nueva Andalucía (1568), which encompassed the present-day states of Nueva Esparta, Sucre, Monagas and Anzoátegui. In 1731 the southern territory of Anzoátegui passed to the Guayana province, then controlled by the Viceroyalty of New Granada.^[6]

Many historians have attributed the name "Pariaguán" to an indigenous leader known as Pariagua who lived between 1700 and 1750, during the period the Spanish called the missions of "pacification of the Caribs".^[7]

Other historians maintain that during the period of indigenous resistance to the Spanish conquest, the great chief Pariagua, who lived between 1490 and 1550, came to power after the death of chief Yavire. Yavire is credited with unifying the tribes of the Caroní River region. Under Pariagua, indigenous forces commanded territory that today encompasses the states of Anzoátegui, Sucre and Monagas, resisting the colonisation ordered by the queen of Spain, Joanna of Castile, on 7 December 1511.

Chief Pariagua allied with chief Paramaiboa; the latter commanded resistance forces in the eastern and southeastern part of the country, while Pariagua led those north of the Orinoco. They forced the Spanish leader Gonzalo de Ocampo to retreat to Cumaná. After Ocampo hanged the indigenous emissaries, he returned to the place called "La Zapoara" (today the town of El Chaparro), but was defeated by Pariaguán. However, chief Paramaiboa fell in battle. The Spanish troops, then under Captain Antonio de Monsalve, were also defeated, and Monsalve committed suicide.

Pariagua again unified the resistance, vowing to win the next battle and dedicate it to his fallen companion Paramaiboa. However, his force was decimated by Spanish troops at "Los Cardones" (in present-day Monagas), where the Spanish lieutenant attacked from one side and Ocampo from the other. Defeated, Pariagua fled with the survivors into the forests of Guayana and was never heard from again.^[6]

The villa of Santo Cristo Crucificado de Pariaguán ("Holy Crucified Christ of Pariaguán") was founded as an act of Christian faith. According to Antonio Cauli in his Historia Corográfica Natural y Evangélica de la Nueva Andalucía,^[8] the foundation of Pariaguán was the work of Franciscan missionaries from Píritu, sent by the Spanish crown for what was termed the "pacification process". Shortly after the founding of Chamariapa (today Cantaura), its founder Fernando de Jiménez encountered two indigenous men leaving the bush: Paubia and Pariagua, the latter acting as interpreter because he spoke Castilian. Both, with deep Christian faith, asked the missionary to found a town for them, as they and their people wished to become Christians.^[6]

Paubia and Pariagua later travelled with Fernando de Jiménez southward, beyond the Mesa de Guanipa and north of the Orinoco. In 1741 they sighted a wide plateau at the headwaters of the Unare River, watered by the Guasey, San Luis and Maco streams. This was the chosen site for the future town. Over three years, Paubia and Pariagua sought future inhabitants. Near the Anache lagoon, they found 30 indigenous people who would become the first inhabitants.

On 17 June 1744, Alonso Hinostroza, commissioned by the Píritu Mission, arrived. The indigenous people built a dwelling for the missionary and a small chapel. Four days later, on 21 June 1744, the first Mass was celebrated and the town named La Villa del Santo Cristo Crucificado de Pariaguán was born.^[6]

By 1750 Pariaguán had consolidated as a town with 230 inhabitants. By 1761, it appeared with the name Cabecera de Unare, according to records related by Monsignor Constantino Maradei in his book Historia del Estado Anzoátegui. At that time the town comprised 56 families, 281 people, 41 houses, 1 church, 3 ranches and 370 head of cattle.

In 1811, Francisco de Miranda was elected as Deputy to the Congress for the Villa de El Pao in the Province of Barcelona. The wider region was a theatre of the independence struggles. Republican standards were upheld during the difficult years of 1815–1820 by patriots such as the brothers José Gregorio Monagas and José Tadeo Monagas, Manuel Cedeño, Pedro Zaraza, Olivares, Rojas, Parejo and the guerrilla Barreto in the vicinity of El Tigre, among others who accompanied Simón Bolívar.^[5] Local patriots included General Lucas Carvajal, who fought at the Battle of Ayacucho and was a native of Múcura; the Deputy to the Congress of Angostura for El Pao, Diego Antonio Alcalá; Colonel José de Alcalá; Major Manuel Figuera and Juan Olayo Pérez, aides to General José Tadeo Monagas, both natives of El Pao; Captain José María Oca of Múcura; and General José Blanco of Bocas del Pao.^[6]

In 1820, General Pablo Morillo reported to the Spanish government: "The plains of Barcelona, Apure, and Casanare are in the hands of the rebels. The fate of Venezuela and New Granada cannot be doubted... These wonders, as they may be called for the speed with which they were achieved, were the work of Bolívar and a handful of men."^[6]

Under the Constitution of Cúcuta of 1821, the Cantón del Pao was created, comprising the parish of El Pao and the parishes of Pariaguán, Atapirire, Múcura, Bocas del Pao, Tabaro, Caris, Merecural, Soledad, Carapa and Mamo. In 1873, Pariaguán had 709 inhabitants (352 men and 357 women); by 1881 it counted 970 inhabitants. From 1893, the local court and public registry were moved to Pariaguán, making it the head town of the Miranda district.^[6]

Pariaguán has a tropical dry forest climate, except in areas close to the Unare and Pao rivers where the climate is humid tropical. The annual mean temperature is 26.8 °C (80.2 °F). Annual rainfall averages 1,086 mm. Annual evapotranspiration is 814.95 mm. Winds are strong throughout the year.^[2]

The headwaters of the Unare and Pao rivers are located within the municipality. Notable tributaries of the Pao include the Atapirire, San Pedro, Las Marías, Catuche, Pariaguán, Algarrobo, Hamaca and Agua Clara rivers. The Pao River flows throughout the municipality and is the main source for the Pariaguán and El Pao aqueducts.^[6]

Groundwater data are scarce, but reports indicate plentiful water at depths around 120 m, with higher water tables further south. Studies by the Zumaque Foundation indicate possibilities for shallow groundwater extraction in the area.^[6]

The landscape is generally flat, typical of the southeastern Venezuelan plains, with moderate dissection marked by deep escarpments over surfaces of 10 to 100 ha, especially at the headwaters of the Pao River. Slopes in flat to undulating areas range from 0.5 to 3%. Mesas and high savannahs are common, with moderate dissection marked by deep escarpments that give rise to river headwaters.^[6]

Parent soil material consists predominantly of lower Pleistocene sediments of the Mesa formation. Soils are mostly sandy loam and clayey sandy loam, with acidic pH and medium natural fertility, belonging to the orders of oxisols and ultisols. These soils support maize, beans, cassava, melon, watermelon, papaya, passion fruit, mango, cashew and various perennial tropical fruits, as well as some horticultural crops and artificial pasture for livestock.^[6]

Francisco de Miranda Municipality is biodiverse, with over 31 vegetation types. The dominant cover is open savannah composed of graminoid vegetation (Trachypogon savannahs).

The Pariaguán area lies within a tropical dry forest life zone, with predominant mixed tropical formation on plateaus. Plant communities form a mosaic of savannah and wooded hill ecosystems, mostly graminoid cover of the genera Trachypogon, Axonopus and Sporobolus. Shrubs and scattered woody trees are common, characterised by twisted growth, thick bark and medium height; typical species include chaparro (Curatella americana), manteco (Byrsonima crassifolia), alcornoque (Bowdichia virgilioides), cañafístola (Cassia machata) and palo de aceite (Capacifera pubiflora).^[6]

The predominant economic activity is agriculture, particularly livestock: dual-purpose cattle, sheep, goats and small broiler chicken operations. Crop agriculture is second, especially bitter cassava for the manufacture of cassava bread and sweet cassava for fresh consumption. Other crops include beans, maize, scattered fruit plantations (cashew, mango, papaya, passion fruit, melon, watermelon), pumpkin, sugarcane and small-scale horticulture.^[6]

Cattle ranching is the main activity. The dominant cattle production is a mosaic-type system oriented toward meat with seasonal milking for traditional cheese-making.^[6]

Industrial activities are limited. Family-run businesses include cashew processing, cassava-bread making and papelón (raw sugar) processing. The construction sub-sector is concentrated in Pariaguán, with 15 block-making facilities of various sizes. A large clay-products complex (blocks, tiles and tabelones, named after Pedro Zaraza) operates at the El Palote estate, Budare sector, within the municipality of Zaraza. In February 2012 the co-managed enterprise ALCOPA, C.A. (Alimentos Concentrados Pariaguán) began operations as a partnership between a private firm and a cooperative.^[6]

Since 2009, the Integral Socialist Project for the Development of Soybean Cultivation Luis Inácio De Abreu e Lima has operated across parts of the Pedro María Freites, Aragua, Simón Rodríguez and Francisco de Miranda municipalities. A modern municipal slaughterhouse has been refurbished near the El Ventilador sector on Trunk Highway 15.^[6]

Most services of the municipality are concentrated in the Pariaguán parish, including education, health, transport, communications, commerce, tourism and hotels.^[6]

• Electricity: Pariaguán is supplied by an electrical substation operated by the state company CORPOELEC, with backup from the Budare power grid.
• Transport: The town has urban and inter-urban bus cooperatives, three transport companies serving oil-industry personnel, and a public bus terminal for national routes.
• Communications: Telephone service is provided by CANTV, with mobile coverage from Movilnet, Movistar and Digitel.
• Banking: Two bank branches operate in the town: Banco de Venezuela and Banco Bicentenario.
• Healthcare: Includes the Type 1 Hospital of Pariaguán, the Santa Cecilia medical centre, several private clinics, the CDI Pariaguán and a network of Barrio Adentro outpatient facilities.

Pre-school and primary education is provided through a network of simoncitos and schools. Notable secondary institutions include:

• Liceo Bolivariano Creación Pariaguán (public)
• Liceo Bolivariano Antonio Pinto Salinas (public)
• Liceo Bolivariano William Lara (public)
• Unidad Educativa Privada Arístides Bastidas (private)
• Unidad Educativa Privada Luis Rafael Mijares Esquivel (private)
• Unidad Educativa Privada Pariagua (private)
• Instituto Educacional Pariaguán (private)

Higher education institutions present in Pariaguán include:

• José Antonio Anzoátegui Territorial Polytechnic University (UPTJAA), Pariaguán Extension
• National Experimental University of the Armed Forces (UNEFA), Pariaguán
• Bolivarian University of Venezuela (UBV), Pariaguán
• The Aldea Antonio Pinto Salinas (Sucre Mission) university programme

According to historical documents, the development of Pariaguán has been closely tied to its patron, the Holy Christ Crucified. The image of the Santo Cristo Crucificado is intimately linked with the foundation and history of the municipal capital. At its founding on 21 June 1744, the town was named La Villa del Santo Cristo Crucificado de Pariaguán.

Caribbean architecture is the model for traditional houses in Pariaguán, having arrived via the Orinoco. The repopulation that took place after the disappearance of the indigenous community of Pariaguán in the late 19th and early 20th century was influenced by the commercial activity that flourished along the Orinoco River, centred at Ciudad Bolívar.

The Hispanic history of Pariaguán, like most central and southern towns of Anzoátegui, dates from the early 18th century. By then the violent phase of conquest had passed; however, the fierce opposition of indigenous peoples, especially Carib resistance, prevented Spanish authorities from accessing the Orinoco, then being penetrated by English pirates and French, Swedish and Dutch (Flemish) smugglers. The Caribs allied with the Flemish, who supplied them with firearms in exchange for prisoners taken in inter-tribal warfare. Spanish authorities therefore supported the Franciscan missionaries of Píritu in intensifying settlement, evangelisation and pacification.

At the end of the 19th century, the Casa de los Crespos (Crespos House), the former Hotel Pariaguán, was built. It became emblematic of the new Creole town, formed by families from El Pao, Aragua de Barcelona, Cachipo, Zaraza, Santa María de Ipire, Ciudad Bolívar, El Chaparro and elsewhere. The settlers from El Pao and Aragua, whose communities had held the title of "Villas of Spaniards", imposed their aristocratic class style: painting and music were the predominant cultural genres at the Hotel Pariaguán, where social gatherings combined with evenings of piano and ballroom dances.

The mission town of Cabeceras de Unare was founded on the site of today's church and Plaza Bolívar, and from here the indigenous reserves were marked out during the colonial period. On this same location the Pariaguán of today was repopulated, characterised by Caribbean architecture brought from Ciudad Bolívar in the early 20th century. According to Carlos Ríos, official chronicler of Miranda Municipality, building materials were progressively replaced by zinc, steel and cement; the first changes affected roofs, with zinc imported from Germany via mule and ox carts from commercial houses in Ciudad Bolívar. Walls retained bahareque (wattle and daub) as the main component, with the addition of large windows.

The cantata to the Santo Cristo de Pariaguán is held on 21 December, when fans of música llanera gather at the Santo Cristo monument on the road to Santa María de Ipire. By tradition, the singer Reynaldo Armas performs a llanera serenade at the monument.^[9]

The Miguel Alfonso Figuera coleo arena was built in 1975 by enthusiasts of the coleo (bull-tailing) sport on land adjacent to the racetrack; it was expanded in 1980 with help from Corpoven, the municipal council and the coleadores association.

The carnival of Pariaguán is one of the town's most important cultural celebrations, featuring music, parades, floats, the election and crowning of the Carnival Queen, and comparsas.

Local television channels include KTV (channel 4, cable), Comunidad Televisión (channel 2), Master TV (channel 37) and Bicentenaria TV (channel 38). The first local digital news outlet is NotiSur Anzoátegui, founded by Fernando Maitan. Radio stations include Festival 92.1 (formerly Alegría 92.1, founded during the petroleum boom by the company Maraven), Quitapesares 88.5 FM, Master 90.5 FM, Radio Nacional de Venezuela 92.5 FM, Pariaguanera 93.3 FM, Fe y Alegría 91.3 FM, Cion 94.7 FM, Divertida 96.7 FM, Génesis 103.7 FM, 107.7 Radio Miranda and Radio La Tuya 100.1 FM. Print media include the popular newspaper El Petrolero and the weekly Extra Pariaguán.

• Anzoátegui
• Francisco de Miranda Municipality, Anzoátegui
• Orinoco Belt

• Delgado Hernández, José Biliangel (2016). A Mi Querido Pueblo (in Spanish).
• Maradei Donato, Constantino (1980). Historia del Estado Anzoátegui (in Spanish). Caracas: Ediciones de la Presidencia de la República.

8°50′N 64°42′W / 8.833°N 64.700°W / 8.833; -64.700