Aguazul () is a town and municipality in the
Department of
Casanare,
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
. Its economy is dependent on oil, mainly Cupiagua and Cusiana fields. Other important products of its economy are livestock and rice. As of 2004, Leonel Torres has been mayor of the city.
History
"La Violencia"
During the time known as ''La Violencia'', or "The Violence", Aguazul, as well as most of Casanare, was controlled by liberal guerrillas. The region was a political and military zone of influence, even being declared independent by the promulgation of the Vega Perdida Constitution.
In those times, Aguazul was known as Sevilla and was an important trade center and one of the few passage ways for livestock for the inner meat market.
The city was destroyed by the Colombian Air Force bombardments and was rebuilt in the same location but across the river.
Armed conflict
Traditionally the zone was controlled by the leftist
Ejército de Liberación Nacional
The National Liberation Army (, ELN) is a far-left guerrilla insurgency group involved in the continuing Colombian conflict, . During the 1995-1998 time period, it was subject to intense combat and a scenario of continuing murder perpetrated by paramilitary groups, which succeeded in gaining control of the area.
The presence of the paramilitary group Autodefensas Campesinas de Casanare, whose base of operations was in the nearby municipalities of
Villanueva and
Monterrey
Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
, was a constant until 2004 when the group surrendered the zone to the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia AUC, in a battle which is said to have cost more than 3.000 lives.
Climate
Aguazul has a
tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...
(Am) with moderate to little rainfall from December to March and heavy to very heavy rainfall from April to November.
Born in Aguazul
*
Frank Ramírez
Frank Augusto Ramírez Mateus (12 February 1939 – 19 February 2015) was a Colombian actor and television director, playing roles in various series, both American and Colombian.
Biography
Ramírez was the son of Jorge Ismael Ramírez Rojas, pha ...
, Colombian actor
References
External links
*
Aguazul official website
Municipalities of Casanare Department
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