Last modified: 2021-08-26 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: portuguesa | paez | acarigua |
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by Guillermo Aveledo, 7 December 2000
See also:
The municipality of Páez (177,175 inhabitants in 2011; 425 sq. km) is located
in the north-east of the State of Portuguesa. The municipality is made of the
Parishes of Acarigua (municipal seat, 143,704 inh.), Payara, Pimpinela and Ramón
Peraza (capital, Mijagüito). The municipality is named for General Jose Antonio
Páez (1790-1873), a hero of the War of Independence and subsequent President of
Venezuela. Páez victoriously led six battles fought against the Royalist troops
in the western plains of Venezuela, the most famous of them being the battle of
Las Quaseres del Medio (2 April 1819). Appointed in June 1821 commander of the
1st Division of the Venezuelan Army, Páez significantly contributed to the
decisive battle of Carabobo (24 June 1821); Bolívar immediately promoted him
General in Chief of the Republican Army. In 1830, Páez led the breakaway of
Venezuela from Gran Colombia and ruled the country from 1830 to 1847, in spite
having been President only for two periods (1830-1835; 1839-1842). He organized
in 1842 the repatriation of Bolívar's remains to his home town, Caracas. After
years in exile, Páez returned to Venezuela in 1858, being Supreme Dictator for
1861 to 1863. He died in exile in New York.
San Miguel de Acarigua was established on 29 September 1620 by Diego Gómez de
Salazar, commissioned by Governor Francisco de la Hoz Berrío; the new settlement
was named for the Hacarygua tribe. The village was raided in 1625 by the Caribe
; in spite of the repression exerted by Baltasar Matías de Almao, the
inhabitants did not feel safe and refused to re-settle Acarigua. In 1645, the
parish priest, Diego de Herrera de Berganciano, relocated the village to the
left bank of river Acarigua. The new location of the village was safe but
threatened by floods; a subsequent parish priest, Fernando de Heredia,
re-located the settlement to a more protected site.
Source: http://alcaldiapaez.gob.ve/ -
Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 26 July 2015
The flag of Páez is prescribed by Decree No. 22, adopted on 29 September 1998
by the Municipal Council. The flag is horizontally divided red-black with a
white, representation of General Jose Antonio Páez in canton. This might have
been modelled on the equestrian statue erected in Caracas (http://estatuasdecaracas.blogspot.fr/2011/02/general-jose-antonio-paez.html).
Red is a symbol of the blood shed during the wars of liberation. Black
represents the forests and economical development.
Source:
http://alcaldiapaez.gob.ve/index.php/alcaldia/simbolos-municipales -
Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 26 July 2015
from <acariguanet.vezla.com>,located
by Dov Gutterman, 4 December 2000