Riosucio
Encyclopedia
There is also a Riosucio, Caldas
.
Riosucio is a municipality and town in the State of Chocó
, Colombia
. It is located in the region of Urabá
, on the Atrato River
basin. It borders Panama
and the municipality of Unguía
at its north, Turbo
, Mutatá
(both in Antioquia), Juradó
and Panama at the east, and Carmen del Darien
and Solano Bay at its south. The town is inaccessible by roads and there is no airport, the river is the main system of transportation and access.
and Darien
began in 1501 with the first Spaniard explorations of Rodrigo de Bastidas
, Vasco Núñez de Balboa
and Juan de la Cosa
. The indigenous communities were made by peoples of the Emberá
and Katio nations. The Hispanic invaders tried to control the area, but the indigenous defenses kept them away until the 18th century when trade became active and the zone became again of colonial interests.
The name "Riosucio" (in English "Dirty River") is due to the river of that same name that joins the Atrato River. The town was founded by the Spaniard Domingo Bailon.
In 1996, the town was the target of a violent operation of the Colombian military along with paramilitary groups, in response to organizing by Afro-Colombian
s and the subsequent law granting land rights to residents of Riosucio and other nearby towns. Hundreds were killed, many disappeared and over 22,000 survivors were forced to leave their lands and move to poor neighborhoods of big cities around the country.
, one of the main Colombian rivers and it is joined by other streams like Rio Sucio, Salaquí and Truandó rivers. There is not an airport and it has a road that goes to Chigorodó
- Antioquia and Belén de Bajirá
- Mutatá
, but the forest road is undeveloped. To travel to the State capital, Quibdó
at its south, people use the river and the same to reach the Gulf of Urabá
and therefore the Turbo Port.
There are places of interest for tourism, but this industry is not well developed due to lack of infrastructure and general security. The main places:
communities and the aborigine peoples of Katíos, Emberás and other ancestral groups. Their food, feasts, religiosity and traditions are influenced by their identity. The Spanish language
is the lingua franca
, but there are several dialects and languages, especially to the aboriginal groups. The Afro-Colombians keep many African expressions, but they have borrow ancestral American terms from the aborigines. The culture belongs to the river and music and dances are influenced by their African and Aboriginal cultural elements.
The main feats in the municipalities are the Sweet Festival during the Holy Week
, the Saint Isidore the Laborer Feast
in May and the Carnival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
(6th to July 16).
Riosucio, Caldas
Riosucio is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Caldas.Every two years the people of Riosucio celebrate a Carnaval which is a cultural celebration where the Devil in figure takes over the town and they have comparsas, dances, and all kind of events....
.
Riosucio is a municipality and town in the State of 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...
, 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 located in the region of Urabá
Urabá
Urabá or Uraba may refer to:* Gulf of Urabá, a gulf in the Caribbean sea in Colombia.* Urabá Region, a subregion of Colombia.* Urabá Region, a subregion of Colombia.* Urabá Antioquia, a subregion of the Antioquia Department, Colombia....
, on the Atrato River
Atrato River
The Río Atrato is a river of northwestern Colombia. It rises in the slopes of the Western Cordillera and flows almost due north to the Gulf of Urabá , where it forms a large, swampy delta....
basin. It borders 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...
and the municipality of Unguía
Unguía
Unguía is a municipality and town in the Chocó Department, Colombia....
at its north, Turbo
Turbo, Colombia
Turbo is a port town in Antioquia Department, Colombia. It is located at around . It is located on the coast of Gulf of Urabá, 340 km. north from Medellín...
, Mutatá
Mutatá
Mutatá is a municipality in the Colombian department of Antioquia....
(both in Antioquia), Juradó
Juradó
Juradó is a municipality and town in the Chocó Department, Colombia....
and Panama at the east, and Carmen del Darien
Carmen del Darién
Carmen del Darién is a municipality and town in the Chocó Department, Colombia....
and Solano Bay at its south. The town is inaccessible by roads and there is no airport, the river is the main system of transportation and access.
History
The region of UrabáUrabá
Urabá or Uraba may refer to:* Gulf of Urabá, a gulf in the Caribbean sea in Colombia.* Urabá Region, a subregion of Colombia.* Urabá Region, a subregion of Colombia.* Urabá Antioquia, a subregion of the Antioquia Department, Colombia....
and Darien
Darien
Darien is a masculine name; variants include Darian and Darion. Darien may refer to:-Panama:*Darién Gap, border area between Panama and Colombia*Darién National Park*Darién Province*Gulf of Darién*Santa María la Antigua del Darién, town founded in 1510...
began in 1501 with the first Spaniard explorations of Rodrigo de Bastidas
Rodrigo de Bastidas
Rodrigo de Bastidas was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who mapped the northern coast of South America and founded the city of Santa Marta.-Early life:...
, Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador. He is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World.He traveled to the New World in...
and Juan de la Cosa
Juan de la Cosa
Juan de la Cosa was a Spanish cartographer, conquistador and explorer. He made the earliest extant European world map to incorporate the territories of the Americas that were discovered in the 15th century, sailed first 3 voyages with Christopher Columbus, and was the owner/captain of the Santa...
. The indigenous communities were made by peoples of the Emberá
Emberá
Emberá is a comarca indígena in eastern Panama. It was created by Law Number 22 on November 8, 1983, within the territories of Chepigana and Pinogana districts, Darién Province. The capital is Union Choco. The 2010 census found 10,001 people within Emberá. The area of this comarca is 4,383.6 sq...
and Katio nations. The Hispanic invaders tried to control the area, but the indigenous defenses kept them away until the 18th century when trade became active and the zone became again of colonial interests.
The name "Riosucio" (in English "Dirty River") is due to the river of that same name that joins the Atrato River. The town was founded by the Spaniard Domingo Bailon.
In 1996, the town was the target of a violent operation of the Colombian military along with paramilitary groups, in response to organizing by Afro-Colombian
Afro-Colombian
Afro Colombians refers to Colombians of African ancestry, and the great impact they have had on Colombian culture. Notable Afro-Colombians include Colombian scientists like Raul Cuero, writers like Manuel Zapata Olivella and politicians:...
s and the subsequent law granting land rights to residents of Riosucio and other nearby towns. Hundreds were killed, many disappeared and over 22,000 survivors were forced to leave their lands and move to poor neighborhoods of big cities around the country.
Geography
The municipality is rather forest located at the northern part of the Chocó State in a region called "Down Chocoan Atrato-Urabá" (Bajo Atrato-Urabá Chocoano). The territory is crossed by the AtratoAtrato River
The Río Atrato is a river of northwestern Colombia. It rises in the slopes of the Western Cordillera and flows almost due north to the Gulf of Urabá , where it forms a large, swampy delta....
, one of the main Colombian rivers and it is joined by other streams like Rio Sucio, Salaquí and Truandó rivers. There is not an airport and it has a road that goes to Chigorodó
Chigorodó
Chigorodó is a municipality in Antioquia Department, Colombia....
- Antioquia and Belén de Bajirá
Belén de Bajirá
Belén de Bajirá is a Colombian Corregimiento of Mutatá Municipality in the Antioquia State. The corregimiento , was claimed by the State of Chocó as a part of Riosucio and then declared municipality in 2000, but the Council of State of Colombia stated on November 27, 2007 that the territory belongs...
- Mutatá
Mutatá
Mutatá is a municipality in the Colombian department of Antioquia....
, but the forest road is undeveloped. To travel to the State capital, Quibdó
Quibdó
Quibdó is the capital city of Chocó Department, in western Colombia. The municipality of Quibdó has an area of 3,337.5 km² and a population of 100,000 mainly consisting of Afro Colombians and Zambo Colombians. Quibdo serves a a receptor for those persons affected by the Colombian armed...
at its south, people use the river and the same to reach the Gulf of Urabá
Gulf of Urabá
The Gulf of Urabá is a gulf on the northern coast of South America. It is part of the Caribbean Sea. It is a long narrow inlet in the coast of Colombia, close to the connection of the continent to the Isthmus of Panama. The town of Turbo lies at the southern end of the Gulf...
and therefore the Turbo Port.
Economy
Located in a forest region of Darien, Riosucio is dedicated to wood exploitation, agriculture and cattle. The African Palm is one of the main products.There are places of interest for tourism, but this industry is not well developed due to lack of infrastructure and general security. The main places:
- Los Katíos National ParkLos Katíos National ParkLos Katíos National Park is a national park located in northwest Colombia which covers 278 square miles . It is a part of the Darién Gap, shared by Panama and Colombia and is contiguous to Darién National Park in Panama. The Pan-American Highway when completed as proposed will pass near or through...
, a territory that is shared with PanamáPanamaPanama , 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...
and that was declared a World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1994 by UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. The area protects not only a rich and fascinating natural environment with unique animal and plant species, but also the ancestral culture of Katíos and other aboriginal peoples of the area. - The Gulf of UrabáGulf of UrabáThe Gulf of Urabá is a gulf on the northern coast of South America. It is part of the Caribbean Sea. It is a long narrow inlet in the coast of Colombia, close to the connection of the continent to the Isthmus of Panama. The town of Turbo lies at the southern end of the Gulf...
and the mouth of the Atrato RiverAtrato RiverThe Río Atrato is a river of northwestern Colombia. It rises in the slopes of the Western Cordillera and flows almost due north to the Gulf of Urabá , where it forms a large, swampy delta....
. The place has natural beaches and river and sea islands. - The historical site of Santa María La Antigua del DarienSanta María la Antigua del DariénSanta María la Antigua del Darién was a Spanish colonial town founded in 1510 by Vasco Núñez de Balboa, located in present-day Colombia approximately 40 miles south of Acandí...
, the first European settlement built in the Americas mainland in 1510 by Alonso de OjedaAlonso de OjedaAlonso de Ojeda was a Spanish navigator, governor and conquistador. His name is sometimes spelled Alonzo and Oxeda.-Early life:...
and destroyed in 1517 by the indios and therefore abandoned. - The rural life of the Afro-American and Indo-American communities of the region around the river and the sea with all their ancestral traditions and natural environment.
Culture
The region is settled mainly by Afro-ColombianAfro-Colombian
Afro Colombians refers to Colombians of African ancestry, and the great impact they have had on Colombian culture. Notable Afro-Colombians include Colombian scientists like Raul Cuero, writers like Manuel Zapata Olivella and politicians:...
communities and the aborigine peoples of Katíos, Emberás and other ancestral groups. Their food, feasts, religiosity and traditions are influenced by their identity. The Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
is the lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
, but there are several dialects and languages, especially to the aboriginal groups. The Afro-Colombians keep many African expressions, but they have borrow ancestral American terms from the aborigines. The culture belongs to the river and music and dances are influenced by their African and Aboriginal cultural elements.
The main feats in the municipalities are the Sweet Festival during the Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
, the Saint Isidore the Laborer Feast
Isidore the Laborer
Isidore the Laborer, also known as Isidore the Farmer, , was a Spanish day laborer known for his goodness toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid and of La Ceiba, Honduras....
in May and the Carnival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries...
(6th to July 16).