Lechería, Anzoátegui
City in Anzoátegui, Venezuela
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lechería is a Venezuelan city, capital of Diego Bautista Urbaneja Municipality in northern Anzoátegui State. It belongs to the Greater Barcelona metropolitan area, the largest in eastern Venezuela, alongside Barcelona (the state capital), Puerto La Cruz and Guanta.[1]
Lechería | |
|---|---|
City | |
View of Lechería from El Morro hill | |
 Flag | |
| Nickname(s): La Ciudad Moderna y Náutica de Venezuela ("Venezuela's modern, nautical city") | |
| Motto(s): ¡Un Estilo de Vida! ("A lifestyle!") | |
.svg)  Lechería | |
| Coordinates: 10.2024°N 64.6869°W | |
| Country |  Venezuela |
| State | Anzoátegui |
| Municipality | Diego Bautista Urbaneja |
| Established | 1992 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Manuel Ferreira González (FV) |
| Area | |
• Total | 12 km2 (4.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 63,784 |
| • Demonym | Lecheriense |
| Time zone | UTC−04:00 (VET) |
| Postal code | 6016 |
| Area code | 0281 |
| Website | Official website |
Lechería is the smallest municipality of Venezuela by area (12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi)) and one of the country's wealthiest by per-capita income. The municipality is administratively divided into two main sectors: a commercial sector crossed by the main avenue with shopping centres and modern housing on either side, and the older, beach-facing district known as Lechería vieja (Old Lechería), which serves as the residential and historic core. The El Morro hill, a tourist landmark, attracts visitors on foot, by bicycle and by car for exercise and panoramic views.
History
Colonial era
San Miguel de Neverí — present-day Lechería — was founded in 1535 by Agustín Delgado, a general in that year's expedition. Delgado was a great-grandnephew of the last guanarteme (king) of Gáldar on Gran Canaria.[2] Together with the Spanish explorer Jerónimo de Ortal, Delgado founded San Miguel de Neverí, but Indigenous groups in the territory — including the Cumanagoto — opposed the Spanish presence and attacked the settlement, forcing the Spaniards to abandon it within a year. The area remained a route between communities of north-eastern New Spain.[3]
Government
Lechería's local government is led by a directly elected mayor and a municipal council. The first mayoral election was held in 1992; the table below summarises the mayors elected since then.
| Term | Mayor | Party / alliance | Vote share | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–1995 | Gilberto Ron Tovar | AD | — | First mayor elected by direct vote (did not complete term) |
| 1995 | Efraín Bedoya | Copei | — | Acting mayor (appointed by the municipal council) |
| 1995–1998 | Efraín Bedoya | Copei | — | Second elected mayor (did not complete term) |
| 1998–2000 | Fernando Prieto | AD | — | Acting mayor (appointed by the council) |
| 2000 | William García | Independent | — | Acting mayor (appointed by the council) |
| 2000–2004 | Alexis Ortiz | LCR | 35.86%[4] | Third elected mayor (did not complete term) |
| 2004 | José Rondón | Independent | — | Acting mayor (appointed by the council) |
| 2004–2008 | Gustavo Marcano | PJ | 35.38%[5] | Fourth elected mayor |
| 2008–2013 | Víctor Hugo Figueredo | JOVIAL | 37.49%[6] | Fifth elected mayor |
| 2013–2017 | Gustavo Marcano | PJ / MUD | 71.31%[7] | Sixth elected mayor (removed from office by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice) |
| 2017 | Frank Díaz | PJ / MUD | — | Acting mayor (appointed by the council from 27 July 2017 until the municipal elections) |
| 2017–2021 | Manuel Ferreira | FV | 44.76%[8] | Seventh elected mayor |
| 2021–2025 | Manuel Ferreira | FV / MUD | 53.18%[9] | Eighth elected mayor (first consecutive re-election) |
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Culture
Cuisine
Lechería's Caribbean coastal location shapes its cuisine, which features seafood-based dishes and concentrates a large share of the metropolitan area's restaurants. During the Virgen del Valle festivities, a gastronomy fair offers traditional plates such as cuajado de pescado (fish casserole), asopado (rice and seafood stew), as well as desserts including arroz con coco, arroz con leche and majarete.
Transport
The public company TransAnzoátegui operates bus rapid transit services for the Greater Barcelona metropolitan area, including Barcelona, Lechería, Puerto La Cruz and Guanta.[10]
Twin towns – sister cities
Barcelona, Venezuela- Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
- Guanta, Venezuela