Fonseca, La Guajira
Encyclopedia
Fonseca is a town and municipality located in the Colombia
n Department
of La Guajira. The town celebrates the Festival del Retorno in honor of St Augustine
with religious celebrations, vallenato
music events and others.
which flows through the municipality from west to east, between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
and the Serrania del Perija
.
Fonseca limits to the north with the municipality of Riohacha
and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range; to the south with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Serrania del Perija mountains; to the east with the municipality of Barrancas
and to the west narrowly with the municipality of San Juan del Cesar
.
The average temperature throughout the year is of 28°Cº variating only between the two rainy seasons and two dry seasons or by altitude due to the mountainous environment.
, Cariachiles and Motilones.
There are two hypothesis about the foundation of Fonseca. One describes that by the year 1700 Catalan
colonizer Agustín Fonseca and Italian José Agustín Parodi Ovalle founded the village.
Agustín Fonseca was the leader of a group of adventurers who settled by the Rancheria river, but in a rainy season the river flooded the area bringing diseases. They moved to a dryer place on what is supposedly the present-day main plaza of Fonseca. José Agustín Parodi Ovalle was a captain in the Spanish military and arrived by orders of the Spanish monarchy
.
In 1773 the settlement of Fonseca was registered as jurisdiction of the Province of Santa Marta. On June 13, 1829 Fonseca became a municipality of the Intendencia of La Guajira by Decree 1954. Fonseca became a municipality of the Department of La Guajira in 1954.
because of its strategic location between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Serrania del Perija mountain ranges and the border with Venezuela. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC) through its Caribbean Bloc
's 59th, 19th and 41st fronts and the National Liberation Army
(ELN) guerrilla Gustavo Palmesano Front have practiced selective assassinations, kidnappings, extortions, forcedly recruitments, town sieges, arms and illegal drugs trafficking among others against the Colombian government and the civilian population.
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
(AUC) appeared in the area in the early 2000s led by alias Jorge 40. After a violent presence in the area but also dissipating the guerrillas presence, the AUC demobilized in 2006.
.
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...
n Department
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 La Guajira. The town celebrates the Festival del Retorno in honor of St Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
with religious celebrations, vallenato
Vallenato
Vallenato, along with cumbia, is currently a popular folk music of Colombia. It primarily comes from the Colombia's Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in...
music events and others.
Geography
The municipality of Fonseca has a total area of 622 km² at an altitude over sea level of 11 m over sea level at the seat of the municipality. The municipality is on a depression in the valley of the Rancheria RiverRancheria River
Rancheria River may refer to the:*the Ranchería River, a river in the department of La Guajira in Colombia*the Rancheria River , a river in the Yukon Territory, Canada, tributary to the Liard River....
which flows through the municipality from west to east, between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range apart from the Andes chain that runs through Colombia. Reaching an altitude of 5,700 metres above sea level just 42 km from the Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada is the world's highest coastal range...
and the Serrania del Perija
Serrania del Perija
The Serranía del Perijá, Cordillera de Perijá or Sierra de Perijá is a mountain range, an extension of the eastern Andean branch , in northern South America, between Colombia and Venezuela, ending further north in the Guajira Desert, a total distance of about 310 km...
.
Fonseca limits to the north with the municipality of Riohacha
Riohacha
Riohacha, Rio Hacha or Rio de la Hacha , is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean sea, capital city of the La Guajira Department. Founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535, Riohacha was named...
and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range; to the south with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Serrania del Perija mountains; to the east with the municipality of Barrancas
Barrancas, La Guajira
Barrancas is a town and municipality of the Colombian Department of La Guajira. The municipality of Barrancas is located to the left margin of the Ranchería River in a valley formed between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains and the Serrania del Perija. Barrancas has a total area of 742 km²...
and to the west narrowly with the municipality of San Juan del Cesar
San Juan del Cesar
San Juan del Cesar is a municipality and town located in the La Guajira Department, Colombia.-Etymology:San Juan Bautista del Cesar name in and Chet-tzar or Sasare indigenous language for calm water, the name of the Cesar River.-History:...
.
The average temperature throughout the year is of 28°Cº variating only between the two rainy seasons and two dry seasons or by altitude due to the mountainous environment.
History
The area of Fonseca was inhabited by different indigenous groups; Chimilas, Tupes, GuajirosWayuu
Wayuu is an Amerindian ethnic group of the La Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela. They are part of the Maipurean language family.- Geography :...
, Cariachiles and Motilones.
There are two hypothesis about the foundation of Fonseca. One describes that by the year 1700 Catalan
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
colonizer Agustín Fonseca and Italian José Agustín Parodi Ovalle founded the village.
Agustín Fonseca was the leader of a group of adventurers who settled by the Rancheria river, but in a rainy season the river flooded the area bringing diseases. They moved to a dryer place on what is supposedly the present-day main plaza of Fonseca. José Agustín Parodi Ovalle was a captain in the Spanish military and arrived by orders of the Spanish monarchy
Spanish monarchy
The Monarchy of Spain, constitutionally referred to as The Crown and commonly referred to as the Spanish monarchy or Hispanic Monarchy, is a constitutional institution and an historic office of Spain...
.
In 1773 the settlement of Fonseca was registered as jurisdiction of the Province of Santa Marta. On June 13, 1829 Fonseca became a municipality of the Intendencia of La Guajira by Decree 1954. Fonseca became a municipality of the Department of La Guajira in 1954.
Colombian armed conflict
Since the 1970s Barrancas has been influenced by 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...
because of its strategic location between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Serrania del Perija mountain ranges and the border with Venezuela. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
(FARC) through its Caribbean Bloc
Caribbean Bloc of the FARC-EP
The Caribbean Bloc of the FARC-EP is a medium-sized FARC-EP bloc which operates in the Northern areas of Colombia and along the Caribbean coast, with routes and access to the coast being strategically important, and is thus sometimes referred to as the Northern Bloc...
's 59th, 19th and 41st fronts and the National Liberation Army
National Liberation Army (Colombia)
National Liberation Army is a revolutionary, avowed Marxist guerrilla group that has been operating in several regions of Colombia since 1964....
(ELN) guerrilla Gustavo Palmesano Front have practiced selective assassinations, kidnappings, extortions, forcedly recruitments, town sieges, arms and illegal drugs trafficking among others against the Colombian government and the civilian population.
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia was created as an umbrella organization of regional far-right...
(AUC) appeared in the area in the early 2000s led by alias Jorge 40. After a violent presence in the area but also dissipating the guerrillas presence, the AUC demobilized in 2006.
Administrative divisions
The municipality seat of Fonseca has some 32 neighborhoods mostly houses. The municipality also has three corregimientos; Conejo, El Hatico and Sitio Nuevo. Eight police inspections: Bangañitas, El Confuso, Los Altos, Sabaneta, Los Pondores, Cardonal, Trigo and Cañaboba. Some twenty veredas: El Porvenir, El Potrero, Jaguey, Puyalito, El Puy, Potrerito, Los Toquitos, Hatico Viejo, La Yaya, San Agustín, Puerto López, Las Bendiciones, Las Marimondas, Las Colonias, La Villa, Guamachal, Mamarongo, El Chorro and Mamonal. There is one indigenous reserve called Resguardo Indígena de MayabanglomaResguardo Indígena de Mayabangloma
Mayabangloma Indigenous Reserve is an indigenous reserve in the municipality of Fonseca, Department of La Guajira in northern Colombia. The reserve is formed by the veredas Mayalita, Bangañita, La Gloria and La Loma, occupying a farm called "El Porvenir" formed by Resolution 046 of November 19, 1994...
.
Demographics
Population data pertaining to the municipality of Fonseca from the year 2000 to 2004.| Year | Urban | Rural | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 22,923 | 3,126 | 26,049 |
| 2001 | 23,702 | 3,232 | 26,934 |
| 2002 | 24,508 | 3,342 | 27,580 |
| 2003 | 25,341 | 3,456 | 28,797 |
| 2004 | 26,203 | 3,547 | 29,777 |