Las Tejerías is a city in Aragua, Venezuela. It is the capital of the Santos Michelena municipality, and it had a population of 54,392 people in 2018. The name of the city is thought to have originated from pottery, as well as the manufacture of tiles, bricks and adobes.

Las Tejerías
City
Flag of Las Tejerías
Official seal of Las Tejerías
Las Tejerías is located in Venezuela
Las Tejerías
Las Tejerías
Location in Venezuela
Coordinates: 10°15′16.5″N 67°10′7.7″W / 10.254583°N 67.168806°W / 10.254583; -67.168806
Country Venezuela
StateAragua
MunicipalitySantos Michelena
Founded1904
Government
 • MayorRegulo La Cruz (PSUV)
Area
 • Total19 km2 (7 sq mi)
Elevation
510 m (1,670 ft)
Population
 (2018)
 • Total54,392
DemonymTejerieña
Time zoneUTC−04:30 (VET)
Postal Code
2119 1[1]

Location edit

The city is located at 510 meters above sea level in the transitional zone between the coastal mountain range and the Aragua valleys. Its origins date back to the end of the 19th century, linked to the construction of the Caracas-Valencia railway. The Pan-American Highway and the Central Regional Highway run near to the city.

Local economy edit

Much of the economy is based on industrial activities, where agroindustries and manufacturing stand out. There is agricultural development of pig breeding and sugar cane cultivation, but industrial and urban landscapes have replaced the fertile traditional agricultural spaces. Las Tejerías has two industrial zones of vital importance for the state of Aragua, with multiple important companies such as Mack de Venezuela, Galletera Puig, Concrecasa, La Montserratina and the Chery vehicle assembler. The first generation Range Rover was produced in the city.[2]

History edit

On September 28, 1993, an accident occurred on the Central Regional Highway, as a result of the accidental rupture of a gas pipeline adjacent to the road. The event has been remembered in Venezuelan public opinion since then as the Tragedy of Las Tejerías, which left 53 people dead and 70 injured.[3] In 2003, the Provegran Accident occurred in the city, leaving 9 dead.[4]

2022 landslide edit

 
Damage caused in the aftermath of the landslide on October 8, 2022.

On the night of October 8, 2022, the Los Patos stream overflowed due to heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Julia, causing a landslide. The next day, 43 dead and more than 50 missing were officially confirmed. The president of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro decreed three days of mourning as a result of the tragedy. Delcy Rodríguez, the executive vice president of Venezuela, visited the site to evaluate and organize teams to care for those affected.[5][6][7]

References edit

  1. ^ "Códigos postales del estado Aragua". 2010-04-02. Archived from the original on 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  2. ^ Padron, Aixer (2020-12-18). "RANGE ROVER MADE IN VENEZUELA". Busesymarcas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  3. ^ Orgambides, Fernando (1993-09-29). "Más de 50 carbonizados en Venezuela al arder un gasoducto junto a una autopista". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  4. ^ Omaña(*), Eric (2011-09-17). "Condenados los dueños de "Provegran" por la muerte de nueve trabajadores mientras el prevencionismo laboral en la UCV es condenado a desaparecer". Aporrea (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  5. ^ "Glissement de terrain au Venezuela: les secouristes à la recherche des corps". L'Express (in French). 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  6. ^ "Deslave en Venezuela: tras varias horas sin información oficial, la dictadura chavista confirmó al menos 25 muertos y más de 50 desaparecidos". infobae (in European Spanish). 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  7. ^ "Venezuela landslide: Maduro vows to rebuild Las Tejerías". BBC News. 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2023-12-07.