(Redirected from El Hatillo Municipality)
'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. It is located in the southeastern area of Caracas, and in the northwestern part of the State of Miranda.
The
seat of the
municipal government is
El Hatillo Town, founded in 1784 by
Don Baltasar de LeĂłn, who was instrumental in the area's development. Although the town had its origins during the
Spanish colonization, the municipality was not established until 1991. In 2000âthe year after a new
constitution was enacted in Venezuelaâsome of the municipality functions were delegated to a consolidated mayor's office called ''AlcaldĂa Mayor'', which also has some authority over the other four municipalities of Caracas.
El Hatillo preserves some of its
colonial architecture, including an 18th century
parish church and a unique
Romanian Orthodox Church. The municipality also has a rich artistic culture, with at least two important musical festivals celebrated yearly, and numerous holiday celebrations reflecting the heritage of El Hatillo. The culture, the pleasant temperature, the rural landscape, and the
gastronomy of the municipality have made it a place of interest for
visitors to the city, and a desirable place to live.
[ AlcaldĂa del Hatillo:Historia Universidad Nueva Esparta ][ Redescubra los sabores de El Hatillo, , MarĂa, de los Ăngeles Herrera, Estampas, ] The municipality receives a part of its income from tourism, an activity that is promoted by the government.
[ Turismo AlcaldĂa Municipio El Hatillo ]
Although commercial areas are growing rapidly,
agriculture remains a foundation of the economy in the
rural areas of the southern part of El Hatillo. The business sector remains mostly underdeveloped, causing heavy
employee movement in and out of the municipalityâa problem that has made the transportation infrastructure of El Hatillo very congested.
[ En contra ]
History
In the 16th century, when the
Spanish colonization in the area began, El Hatillo was inhabited by
indigenous tribes of
Mariches, descendants of the
Caribs.
Cacique Tamanaco was the leader of these tribes, known for
resisting the Spanish colonization. As the colonization developed, the indigenous habitants were killed; by order of Caracas' founder
Diego de Losada, Tamanaco was also murdered.
A plaque in front of Baltasar's house describes how he donated land to construct El Hatillo Town (click to read translation).
In 1752, Don Baltasar de LeĂłn GarcĂa[''Baltasar'' is sometimes spelled ''Balthasar'', ''Balthazar'' or ''Baltazar''.] arrived to El Hatillo from CĂĄdiz, Spain, having just completed a prison term at ''La Carraca'', Spain, for opposing (with his father) the monopoly rules of Guipuzcoana Company, which was in charge of maintaining exclusive trade between Spain and Venezuela.[ Breve historia del Municipio El Hatillo GD Solutions C.A. ] Don Baltasar founded El Hatillo Town, becoming one of the most significant contributors to its early development. Don Baltasar focused on making El Hatillo a strong, united and independent community,[ El Hatillo: Un pueblo colonial anclado en la gran metrĂłpoli Beatriz Lara Mendoza ] aiming to establish the area as a distinct parish from Baruta, on which El Hatillo depended. He accomplished this on June 12, 1784, when the governor and the bishop agreed to declare El Hatillo autonomous and under the direction of Don Baltasar, in front of 180 Canary-descendant families; this date is accepted as the foundation date of El Hatillo Town.[ Municipio El Hatillo: Historia AlcaldĂa El Hatillo ]
That same year, Don Baltasar and his brother-in-law donated their properties to the town, and an engineer assisted in the urban planning, which included grid streets and a parish church.[ The church was built to honor Santa RosalĂa de Palermo, who Baltasar believed had saved him from a plague that killed his father in prison.][ Sta. RosalĂa de Palermo: valores religiosos GD Solutions C.A. ] In 1803, at the age of 79, Don Baltasar was unexpectedly killed in a horse accident.[ Catalogo del Patrimonio Cultural Venezolano 2004â2005. Municipio El Hatillo, Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural, , , Ministerio de la Cultura, 2005, ISBN 978-980-6448-21-6 ]
In 1809, landlord and Lieutenant Colonel Manuel Escalona[ El himno de El Hatillo GD Solutions C.A. ] achieved the separation of El Hatillo from Petare, another suburb of Caracas, making it a different ''Tenientazgo de Justicia''âa type of administrative division at the time. On April 19, 1810, Escalona enjoined the town to the movement of independence under SimĂłn BolĂvar, becoming another important person in the history of the municipality.[ El Hatillo Caracas Virtual ]
Ana Francisca PĂ©rez GarcĂa, Don Baltasar's wife, was a noteworthy woman in El Hatillo, attending to community children, elders and ill citizens. She donated a considerable amount of money for the construction of a hospital in Petare after the 1812 earthquake; this hospital is currently known as the PĂ©rez de LeĂłn de Petare Hospital.
El Hatillo in the 1940s.
One of the most ambitious urbanization projects in El Hatillo since its founding was the neighborhood, La Lagunita. In the 1950s and 1960s, La Lagunita S.A. constructed a "functional, futuristic and comfortable" residential zone. To encourage people to settle in the area, each parcel included a membership to Lagunita Country Club, which was officially opened in 1964. Brazilian landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx contributed to this project, constructed on the 4.3 million mÂČ hacienda that once belonged to former Venezuelan president, Eleazar LĂłpez Contreras.[ Breve historia de la urbanizaciĂłn La Lagunita Concalpro Group ] La Lagunita has since become a wealthy neighborhood of El Hatillo.
Although El Hatillo has been independent from Petare since 1809, it later became part of Sucre Municipality, where Petare is located. On November 19, 1991, Miranda's Legislative Assembly gave El Hatillo full autonomy, making it an independent municipality; this decision was issued in ''Gaceta Oficial'' on January 17, 1992.[ DivisiĂłn PolĂtico Territorial de Venezuela, 2003 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ] In 1993, Mercedes HernĂĄndez de Silva was elected the first mayor of El Hatillo.[ Since 2000, the ''AlcaldĂa Mayor'' manages some of the functions of the municipality.][ Gaceta Oficial N° 36,906 Tribunal Supremo de Justicia ]
Geography
Simulated-color
Landsat 7 satellite image of El Hatillo and surrounding areas.
[ Municipio El Hatillo: GeografĂa A lcaldĂa El Hatillo ]âthe third largest municipality in the capital.
The municipality's natural southern boundary is the Turgua range, spanning east to west and separating El Hatillo from the Baruta and Paz Castillo municipalities. Parallel to Turgua in the north is the Sabaneta range; the Prepo stream runs between the two ranges. North of the Sabaneta range, the Prepo stream feeds into the Tusmare stream, which ends in the Guaire river.[ El Hatillo. Destino EcoturĂstico para observadores de aves, , Alberto, Blanco DĂĄvila, Fonpromitur, , ]
La Guairita stream flows into the Guaire in northeastern El Hatillo. The Guaire river is the eastern limit of the municipality, separating it from Sucre and Paz Castillo in the southeastern sector of El Hatillo. La Guairita serves as the northern boundary between El Hatillo and the municipalities of Baruta and Sucre. Limiting Baruta to the west, the boundaries of the municipality follow El VolcĂĄn, PariaguĂĄn, La Mata and other peaks until they meet Turgua range in southeastern El Hatillo.
The tallest peak in El Hatillo is Picacho de El VolcĂĄn (Spanish for "Peak of the Volcano"), at 1,490 meters (4,888 ft) above sea level, from where radio, television and telecommunication antennas serve Caracas. Despite its name, the mountain has had no recorded volcanic history. Other significant mountains in El Hatillo are GavilĂĄn at , Topo de El PaujĂ at and Topo de Piedras Pintadas at .
Environment
El Hatillo, at a higher altitude than the neighboring municipalities of Caracas, has slightly cooler weather than nearby downtown Caracas. The average temperature is between 21 and 24 degrees Celsius (70â75°F). At the highest elevations, the temperature can decrease to 18 °C (64 °F) and the atmosphere may have constant fog. The mean precipitation is 997.3 millimeters a year (39 inches); annual values can range from 800 to 1,500 millimeters (32 in to 59 in). The average humidity index is 75%; similar to the rest of Venezuela, the rainy season is May through November, while all other months are considered the dry season. The winds are north alizĂ© trade winds.[ Catalogo del Patrimonio Cultural Venezolano 2004â2005. Municipio El Hatillo, Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural, , , Ministerio de la Cultura, 2005, ISBN 978-980-6448-21-6 ]
Concentrated near water bodies, the vegetation in most of El Hatillo is dense forests, occupying around 30% of the surface. Smaller plants like shrubs take around 9% and herbs occupy a similar percentage. In 1972, the forests of El Hatillo were declared a protected zone of the metropolitan area of Caracas.[ ]
The municipality is home to a wide range of bird species, with more than two hundred registered, including sparrowhawks, eagles, falcons, and owls. Birdwatching in the area is promoted by the authorities of Miranda, who have also supported conservation of these species.
Demographics
In the 16th century, the indigenous Mariches were killed by the explorers;[ when the development of El Hatillo began, Spaniards from the Canary Islands settled in the area. Families from Madeira, Portugal also immigrated to El Hatillo, working largely in agriculture in La UniĂłn neighborhood.][ Catalogo del Patrimonio Cultural Venezolano 2004â2005. Municipio El Hatillo, Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural, , , Ministerio de la Cultura, 2005, ISBN 978-980-6448-21-6 ] As of 2001, 86% of the habitants of El Hatillo were born in Venezuela; the largest group not born in Venezuela was from Colombia with 4.2% of the population, followed by Spain with 1.95%, Italy with 1.04%, the United States with 0.97%, and Portugal with 0.84%.[ CaracterĂsticas de la persona Sistema Integrado de Indicadores Sociales para Venezuela ]
In the 2001 National Institute of Statistics census, El Hatillo Municipality had 54,225 inhabitants,[ Primeros Resultados XIII Censo General de PoblaciĂłn y Vivienda Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ] but demographics show a rapidly rising population. With the progressive demographic increase, El Hatillo's population is no longer exclusive to any particular ethnic group. In 2001 there were 997 births in El Hatillo, equivalent to a rate of 18.4 births per one thousand citizens.[ Estado Miranda. Nacimientos vivos registrados por año, segĂșn municipio de residencia habitual de la madre, 2000â2005 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ] The death rate for that same year was 2.9 per one thousand citizens.[ Estado Miranda. Defunciones registradas por año, segĂșn municipio de residencia habitual del fallecido, 2000â2005 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ] 2001 data shows that there is an average of 28.2 years of potential life lost.[ Estado Miranda. Promedio de años potenciales de vida perdidos por sexo, segĂșn municipio de residencia habitual, 1998â2002 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ] The main cause of death according to 1999 data was cancer, followed by heart disease and murder.
Data for 2000 shows that the largest age group is from 15 to 19 years old, representing 9.52% of El Hatillo's population; for every 100 females there are 94.2 males.[ Aspectos Sociales y DemogrĂĄficos Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ] The unemployment rate in 2001 was 6.1%, ranking fourth lowest among the twenty-one municipalities in Miranda.[ Tasas de condiciĂłn de actividad Sistema Integrado de Indicadores Sociales para Venezuela ]
As of 2001, there were 18,878 homes in El Hatillo, of which 13,545 were occupied; the remaining homes were either unoccupied, occasionally used, under construction, or for sale.[ Estado Miranda. Total viviendas y hogares, segĂșn municipio, base Censo 2001 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ] An average of four people made up each household. Regarding wealth, 74.70% of the population was above poverty level, 21.46% was poor, and 3.84% were extremely poor.[ Estado Miranda. PoblaciĂłn en hogares pobres y no pobres, segĂșn municipio, censo 2001 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ] According to the 2001 census, each household in the municipality received an average of 1,316,906 Venezuelan bolĂvares per month, equal to US$1,832 at the time, or US$21,984 per year.[ Estado Miranda. Municipio El Hatillo. NĂșmero de hogares, ingresos totales de los hogares e ingresos medios por hogar, segĂșn ingreso mensual, base Censo 2001 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica ][Based on a June 29 2001 exchange rate of Bs.719/US$1]
Neighborhoods
Although there are no defined limits for the neighborhoods of El Hatillo, the government website divides the municipality into urban and rural. Concentrated in the northern region of the municipality, the urban neighborhoods are El Hatillo Town, El Calvario, La Lagunita, Alto Hatillo, La Boyera, Las MarĂas, Oripoto, Los Pomelos, Los Naranjos, Los Geranios, La Cabaña, Cerro Verde, Llano Verde, Colinas, Vista El Valle, Los Olivos, and El Cigarral. The rural localities of the municipality are located in southern El Hatillo; these are La UniĂłn, Corralito, Turgua, La Hoyadita, Sabaneta, La Mata, Caicaguana, and Altos de HalcĂłn.
Economy
The economy of El Hatillo Municipality is comprised of three sectors: the commercial sector, which has been growing along with the population increase and is primarily represented by shopping malls and retail stores around the urban areas; agricultural, in the southern half of the municipality and existing since the founding of El Hatillo; and tourism, which contributes significantly to El Hatillo's income and is promoted by the government.[ ]
El Hatillo is an accessible day visit destination for people from Caracas; the municipality is only 15 km (9 miles) southeast of downtown Caracas but in the mountains removed from the congested Caracas valley;[Dydynski (2004), p. 73.] thus, development has focused on day tourism. The central town squareâPlaza BolĂvarâand its surroundings are well maintained, and the municipal government offers bus trips around the narrow streets for viewing the colonial architecture of the town.[ Handcrafted souvenirs and products are popular purchases, offered at local artisan shops, and there are numerous restaurants.][Dydynski (2004), p. 58.] There are at least three cultural centers in the municipality that attract tourists and residents to music festivals and art expositions.
To support the increasing population, numerous shopping malls have been built in the municipality. Neighborhoods like La Lagunita, Los Naranjos and El Hatillo Town now offer large scale shopping malls with multiplex movie theaters. Since the 1980s, the older typical houses of El Hatillo Town have been converted to shops and restaurants, while preserving their colonial architecture.[ RecreaciĂłn Universidad Nueva Esparta ]
Employment possibilities within El Hatilloâa bedroom community of Caracasâare reduced; businesses in the municipality are almost strictly commercial, and the economy has not expanded in other directions. Office space underdevelopment has resulted from a lack of land for large scale office construction, making it costly to locate large offices or businesses in the area. Those seeking employment in offices or larger businesses must look outside of El Hatillo, contributing to the high traffic to, from, and in El Hatillo.
Law and government
Seal of ''AlcaldĂa El Hatillo'', the mayor's office.
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.[ Autoridades Municipales ComisiĂłn de LegislaciĂłn. Municipio El Hatillo. Estado Miranda ][ Poder PĂșblico Municipal Gobierno Bolivariano de Venezuela ]
El Hatillo has had three mayors through 2006. Mercedes HernĂĄndez de Silva was the first mayor of the municipality, serving from 1993 until 1996. Succeeding her, Flora Aranguen was Mayor from 1996 until 2000. That same year, Alfredo CatalĂĄn was elected mayor. In 2004 he was reelected; his term is set to end in 2008.
The 2007 president of the Municipal Council is Leandro Pereira, supported by the political party Justice First. All but one of the seven councillors belong to political parties opposed to President Hugo ChĂĄvez's administration.[ Concejales ComisiĂłn de LegislaciĂłn. Municipio El Hatillo. Estado Miranda ] There is also a Legislative Commission, presided over by councillor Salvador Pirrone in 2007. The commission's job is to assist the municipality in legal matters, such as the creation of new laws and decrees.
On March 8, 2000âthe year after a new constitution was introduced in Venezuelaâit was decreed that the Metropolitan District of Caracas would be created, and that some of the powers of El Hatillo Municipality would be delegated to the ''AlcaldĂa Mayor'', which would also govern the Baruta, Libertador, Sucre and Chacao municipalities.[ Each of the five municipalities is divided into parishes; El Hatillo has only one, the Santa RosalĂa de Palermo Parish,][ sometimes called Santa RosalĂa de El Hatillo Parish or simply El Hatillo Parish.]
In December 2006, as a part of a constitutional reform, ChĂĄvez proposed a reorganization of the municipal powers.[ The Debate on the Constitutional Reform in Venezuela Asdrubal Aguiar ] ChĂĄvez mentioned his reform plans again in his January 2007 presidential inauguration, suggesting a new form of subdivision—communal cities—in which mayors and municipalities would be replaced by communal powers.[ Should egalitarians support ChĂĄvez? Francisco RodrĂguez ]
Crime
Relative to the other Caracas municipalities,[1] El Hatillo has the lowest crime rate. Data from 2003 shows that 53,555 crimes occurred within the five municipalities of Caracas, but only 418 (about 0.78%) took place within El Hatillo. El Hatillo's population is significantly lower than its sister municipalities; viewing 2003 crime data relative to 2001 census data, El Hatillo had an annual rate of 7.7 crimes for every one thousand citizens, while the average of the five Caracas municipalities was 19.4 for every one thousand citizens.[ Delitos registrados en el ĂĄrea metropolitana de Caracas, segĂșn municipio y parroquia, 2003 Ministerio de Interior y Justicia ][ The main police force in El Hatillo is the municipal police, sometimes referred to as Poli-Hatillo.][ Seguridad AlcaldĂa de El Hatillo ] Other police forces can also intervene in the municipality, including the Metropolitan Police,[ PoliciĂa Metropolitana AlcaldĂa Mayor Metropolitana ] and the Miranda State Police.[ MisiĂłn & VisiĂłn Instituto AutĂłnomo de PolicĂa del Estado Miranda ]
Education
Nueva Esparta University, the only higher education institution in El Hatillo.
The municipality has one higher education facilityâNueva Esparta University, a 30,000 square meters (323,000 sq ft) institution located in Los Naranjos. Nueva Esparta school was founded in 1954, but the private university was not constructed until 1989.
El Hatillo offers free public education, with a total of seventeen primary education schools; eleven are public and six are private. Nineteen preschools exist: ten public and nine private. Data for secondary education is incomplete; there are five private secondary schools in the municipality, but the number of public secondary schools is unavailable. Government data shows each educational stage separately, but an individual facility may contain preschool, primary and secondary education.[2] The 2001 census shows enrollment of 8,525 students during the 2000â2001 school year; by the end of the school year, 8,149 had passed.[3]
Culture
The most significant icon in the culture of El Hatillo is Santa RosalĂa de Palermo. The church adjacent to the plaza in the center block of El Hatillo Town is named after this saint, and the only parish in the municipality also carries her name. The community is largely Catholic; local shops carry many religious handcrafted products, and the municipality is the site of the Santa Rosa de Lima Seminary, formerly San JosĂ© Seminary.[ In El Hatilloâand throughout Venezuelaâ images of Jesus and Mary are part of the art and culture. ]
Don Baltasar de LeĂłn and his wife, Ana Francisca, are remembered for founding and developing El Hatillo. Manuel Escalona is recognized for including El Hatillo in the 19th century independence movement; as in the rest of Venezuela, SimĂłn BolĂvar is considered a hero.
Heritage
Sculpture of ''Santa RosalĂa de Palermo'', inside the church named after her. Brought to El Hatillo from
Spain by Don Baltasar.
Santa RosalĂa de Palermoâborn in Palermo, Italyâis the patron saint of El Hatillo. RosalĂa was recognized in 1624 when her remains were discovered in a cave, brought to the Cathedral of Palermo, and displayed through the streets of Palermo during a plague. Within three days, the plague ended; RosalĂa was credited with saving many from the plague and proclaimed patron saint of the city.[4][5]
Years later, El Hatillo's founder also believed that Santa RosalĂa had protected him from an infection. During the Guipuzcoana scandal in Venezuela, Baltasar's father, Juan Francisco de LeĂłn, and his sons were held prisoners in CĂĄdiz. Juan Francisco died as a consequence of smallpox, but Don Baltasar completed his years in prison and then moved to El Hatillo. Baltasar brought the legacy of Santa RosalĂa de Palermo to El Hatillo, believing she protected him from the pestilence that killed his father in CĂĄdiz.
Part of El Hatillo's culture has grown around Santa RosalĂa; she is believed to be the one who takes care of the people and protects El Hatillo from any pandemic that could hit the area. Don Baltasar's most evident inclusion of RosalĂa into El Hatillo's culture occurred at least twice: first in 1776, when El Calvario chapel was built and dedicated to the Saint; and then in 1784, when a bigger parish church named ''Iglesia Santa RosalĂa de Palermo'' was constructed.[ Santa RosalĂa de Palermo Caracas Virtual ]
Regional celebrations
In addition to the nationwide activities celebrating Christmas, the New Year, Carnival, and Easter, El Hatillo has a number of celebrations unique to the region.[ Catalogo del Patrimonio Cultural Venezolano 2004â2005. Municipio El Hatillo, Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural, , , Ministerio de la Cultura, 2005, ISBN 978-980-6448-21-6 ] Since the 1766 founding of El Hatillo, a week-long festival honoring Santa RosalĂa de Palermo (Spanish: ''Fiestas Patronales en honor a Santa RosalĂa de Palermo'') is held in September featuring parades, Catholic masses, and traditional games, concluding with the traditional release of balloons accompanied by fireworks. On Holy Thursday, an image of the crucified Christ is decorated with flowers and paraded around El Hatillo's Plaza BolĂvar in the Jesus Christ Procession. Since 1938, Carnival has been celebrated in El Hatillo with dancing, parades, and the election of a Carnival Queen in Plaza BolĂvar. The founding of El Hatillo is commemorated on June 12 with organized activities including traditional games, mass, and balloons. A tradition having religious and agricultural significance has been celebrated every May since the beginning of the twentieth century. The third Sunday of May is the festival of ''Dama antañona'', in which residents pay homage to the women of El Hatillo, with typical food and gifts.
Art
BolĂvar Square, the heart of El Hatillo.
The Cultural and Social Center El Hatillo, El Hatillo Art Center, and El Hatillo Atheneum are the local centers of artistic activity. In 2006, Dave Samuels inaugurated the annual International Music Festival of El Hatillo at the El Hatillo Art Center; Samuels was followed by SimĂłn DĂaz, Steve Smith, Serenata Guayanesa, Mike Stern and other notable musicians.[ La mĂșsica estĂĄ de moda en El Hatillo AnalĂtica ] Since 1999, the El Hatillo Jazz Festival has attracted visitors to the municipality to hear national and foreign jazz artists.[ Este viernes comienza el Jazz Festival El Hatillo 2005 ][ Destacados mĂșsicos reeditan Ă©xito del Festival Jazz y gastronomia ]
El Hatillo's art culture is rich with handcrafted products. Pottery is a common souvenir for tourists, and there are many artisans devoted to ceramics and pottery in the municipality. The Turgua Group is an artist collective of almost twenty potters and blacksmiths, founded in 1992 by Guillermo Cuellar, an internationally known potter.[6][ Grupo Turgua Akar Design ] The group has two exhibitions a year, which have expanded from pottery exposition to jewelry, photography, woodwork, drawing and weaving.[ Grupo Turgua MiPunto.com ]
In May 2005, the local government collaborated with the Japanese Embassy to organize Japan Cultural Week, an exposition held in the Art Center featuring bonsai, origami, kimonos, martial arts, anime and other manifestations of the Japanese culture. The event offered free workshops for learning these Japanese arts.[ Semana cultural de JapĂłn en El Hatillo ] Continuing cultural promotion in the municipality, the ''III SalĂłn de FotografĂa El Hatillo''âa photography contest for children, amateur and professional photographersâwas organized in October 2005.[ III SalĂłn de FotografĂa El Hatillo AnalĂtica ]
Cuisine
The cuisine industry in El Hatillo has grown along with the commercial development of the municipality. A September 2006 article in ''Estampas''âa weekly Venezuelan magazineâ described the culinary arts of El Hatillo, noting that El Hatillo offers the usual Venezuela cuisine, as well as new gastronomic developments. The TV chef Yuraima Blanco opened the Culinary Art Gallery in El Hatillo, where diners can enjoy a variety of food. There are also typical cachapa restaurants and cafĂ©s, as well as other restaurants with a fusion of foreign and national food. According to ''Estampas'', a well-known local restaurant called "Mauricio's" mixes Swiss and French food with Caribbean gastronomy. El Hatillo also offers many varieties of confectionery, such as churros, pastry and ice cream.[ There are a variety of other restaurants in El Hatillo, offering such diverse cuisine as German and Thai food.][Dydynski (2004), p. 85. ]
Sports
Lagunita Country Club.
Lagunita Country Club is one of the most important sports facilities in the municipality. The club offers tennis and swimming, but it is best known for its golf course, the home of the 1974 WGC-World Cup. Designed by Dick Wilson, the club began with temporary headquarters in 1959, opening officially in 1964. Lagunita Country Club played an important role in the development of La Lagunita neighborhoodâan ambitious urban project, which has become one of the wealthiest areas of Caracas.[ Golf Courses of South America Tekware ]
HipariĂłn is another club located in El Hatillo; according to the Venezuelan Census of Cultural Heritage, this equestrian facility from the 1930s was originally used for horse trips, but it later became a place for the training and caring of horses. The Club HipariĂłn is internationally known for its equestrian training.[ ]
Tourism and recreation
The hub of activity in El Hatillo Town is BolĂvar Plaza (Spanish: ''Plaza BolĂvar''), a garden square encompassing the central block in the town of El Hatillo. Constructed in 1785, the Plaza was originally called ''Plaza Mayor'' or ''Plaza del Mercado''. In 1911, a bust honoring Manuel Escalona was placed in the square, which was renamed in his honor. In 1952, the bust was replaced with a statue of SimĂłn BolĂvar, and the plaza was again renamed after the Venezuelan hero.[ Across from the BolĂvar Square is the 18th century Santa RosalĂa de Palermo Church, which was declared a National Historic Monument in 1960.]
The statue of SimĂłn BolĂvar, erected in 1952, replaced the one of Manuel Escalona.
Between El Hatillo and La Lagunita is the smaller Manuel Escalona Plaza (Spanish: ''Plazoleta Manuel Escalona''), another urban monument displaying the bust of Escalona that formerly occupied BolĂvar Square. Sucre Plaza (Spanish: ''Plaza Sucre'')âgraced since 1915 with a ceiba tree at its centerâis in the southern part of town; this was historically where people tied their mules while frequenting The Four Corners, and it is also known as ''Plaza La Ceiba''. The Four Corners (Spanish: ''Las Cuatro Esquinas'') was a convenient social gathering spot in El Hatillo, comprising a general store, hardware shop, gambling place and bar.[ Patrimonios de El Hatillo GD Solutions C.A. ]
La Lagunita is the site of the San Constantino and Santa Elena Romanian Orthodox Church. The building is an architectural work from the 16th century, brought from Romania, made completely from oak and fir woods, and detailed with more than 40,000 individually placed and carved tiles. It is one of only 15 churches of its type remaining in the world, and one of only two outside of Romania, the other being in Switzerland.[ El Hatillo y Ăvila MĂĄgica ]
For children, the Caicaguana hacienda in La Lagunita houses the Expanzoo, where visitors can see and touch exotic animals. The zoo is recognized for offering unique employment opportunities; the workers are from families with few resources, and the staff include the mentally ill.[ Expanzoo ... Un sueño que ya es realidad Couret, Angela ] The Baby Zoo is another place for children to interact with animals; visitors can feed and touch the animals, ride horses and rent the location for special events.[ More interaction with nature can be experienced by visiting the Morro la Guairita park in El Cafetalâcommonly known as the Indian Caves (Spanish: ''Cuevas del Indio'')âa system of 22 natural openings in the mountain, and the only place in Caracas where rock climbing is permitted. Guided tours are available, and views of El Ăvila can be enjoyed while ascending the park.]
Transportation
The mountainous terrain and geographic features of El Hatillo have made it difficult to extend the Caracas Metro to southeast Caracas, so the main transportation methods in the municipality are private vehicles and road public transportation. An extension of the MetroâLine 5âhas been proposed, but construction has not been initiated as of 2007; phase 2 of Line 4 is still under construction. Urban planning in the municipality has been unorganized; news archives show that at least since 1998, neighbors have been complaining about the dense traffic caused by new residential and commercial construction, yet new or enhanced alternative roads to resolve the traffic problems have not been completed. A south beltway suggested 25 years ago has not been constructed due to its high cost.[ El sureste seguirĂĄ atrapado en una vĂa ] However, as of January 2006, a new route that will connect La Lagunita with Macaracuayâa neighborhood in northeast Caracasâis under construction and is planned to be completed in 2010; according to Mayor CatalĂĄn, 23% of El Hatillo's inhabitants will eventually use this transit way. Its cost was estimated in early 2006 as US$19,572,000.[ El Hatillo tendrĂĄ otra salida ]
Local solutionsâsuch as the proposed Metro extension line and the road connecting La Lagunita and Macaracuayâmay improve the traffic congestion around El Hatillo, but the traffic issue affects all of Caracas. It is estimated that one million vehicles transit Caracas daily, causing a collapse of the transportation network.[ Un millĂłn de carros saturan Caracas Jorge HernĂĄndez ] Automobiles travel at an average speed of 15 km/h (9 mph) on the streets and highways of Caracas.[ There are numerous factors contributing to the traffic problem in Caracas. According to the Venezuelan Society of Transportation Engineers, a city should allocate 20% of its public area to transportation; in Caracas, less than 12% is allocated.][ In 2004, fifty thousand new vehicles were sold in Caracas. In 2005, sixty thousand more were sold, and as of November, 2006, seventy thousand more had been sold. In five years, 250 thousand more cars are circulating in Caracas on roadways that have not increased proportionally to the increase in the number of cars.][ Further, public transportation is not fully reliable; an average trip in the city using mass transit takes around ninety minutes.][ Cifras que hablan del caos vehicular ]
Notes
1. Venezuela's capitalâCaracasâhas become South America's most violent. The United Nations reported in 2005 that Venezuela had the highest number of deaths by gunfire per capita in the world, garnering for Venezuela claim to the title of the world's most violent crime capital. "Venezuela: Crimes and misdemeanours. ''The Economist'', (2006-04-20). Retrieved on 2006-06-26. Amnesty International (2006). "AI Report 2006: Venezuela". Retrieved on 2006-06-22. "In Venezuela, crime runs 'absolutely out of control' ". ''Chicago Tribune'' (2006-06-12). Retrieved on2006-06-22. Reel, M. "Crime Brings Venezuelans Into Streets". ''Washington Post'' (2006-05-10), p. A17. Retrieved on 2006-06-24.
2. Estado Miranda. Recursos educativos por dependencia, segĂșn municipios y nivel educativo impartido, 2000/2001 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica
3. Estado Miranda. MatrĂcula ''inicial'' por dependencia y nivel educativo, segĂșn municipio y sexo, 2000/2001 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica
★ Estado Miranda. MatrĂcula ''final'' por dependencia y nivel educativo, segĂșn municipio y sexo, 2000/2001 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica
★ Estado Miranda. MatrĂcula ''repitiente'' por dependencia y nivel educativo, segĂșn municipio y sexo, 2000/2001 Instituto Nacional de EstadĂstica
4. St. Rosalia New Advent
5. Ferlita, Kenneth C. (1997) Santa Rosalia. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
6. Cornell College (Dec. 20, 2002). Cornell hosts exhibition by Venezuelan potter, alumnus Guillermo Cuellar. Press Release Archive, 2002â2003. Retrieved on 2006-12-15
References
★ Venezuela, , Krzysztof, Dydynski, Lonely Planet Publications, , ISBN 1-74104-197-X
External links
★ El Hatillo - Virtual tour
★ El Hatillo. Pueblo de techos rojos - MiPunto.com
★ El Hatillo: Un pueblo colonial anclado en la gran metrĂłpoli - ''BurĂł de Convenciones y Visitantes de Venezuela''
★ AlcaldĂa El Hatillo - Nueva Esparta University
★ El Hatillo - CaracasVirtual.com
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