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El Hatillo Municipality, Miranda

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Geography

   El Hatillo Municipality, Miranda
   Santa Rosalía de Palermo Church
   Santa Rosalía de Palermo Church

              Official flag of El Hatillo Municipality, Miranda

   Coat of arms of El Hatillo Municipality, Miranda
   Flag Coat of arms
   El Hatillo Municipality in Miranda State
   El Hatillo Municipality in Miranda State
   Coordinates: 10°26′21″N, 66°49′48″W
   Country Venezuela
   State Miranda
   Seat El Hatillo Town
   Founded June 12, 1784
   Incorporated November 9, 1991
   Mayor Alfredo Catalán Schick
   Political party Project Venezuela
   Area
    - City 114 km²  (44  sq mi)
   Elevation 1136 m  (3730 ft)
   Population
    - City (2001) 54,225
    - Density 475.66/km² (1,232.39/sq mi)
   Time zone AST ( UTC-4)
   Postal codes 1083 and 1061
   Area code(s) 212
   Website: http://www.elhatillo.gov.ve

   El Hatillo Municipality (Spanish: Municipio El Hatillo) is an
   administrative division of the State of Miranda, Venezuela, and along
   with Baruta, Chacao, Libertador and Sucre, it is one of Caracas' five
   municipalities. It is located in the southeast area of Caracas and in
   the northwest part of Miranda.

   The seat of the municipal government is El Hatillo Town, founded in
   1784 by Don Baltasar de León, who also participated in the development
   of the region. Although the town had its origins during the Spanish
   colonization, it was not until 1991 when the municipality was
   established. In 2000, the year after a new constitution was introduced
   in Venezuela, some of the powers of the municipality were delegated to
   a mayor's office called Alcaldía Mayor which also took control over the
   other four municipalities of Caracas.

   El Hatillo still preserves some of its colonial architecture, including
   an 18th century parish church, therefore, it is a place of interest for
   visitors to the city. The municipality receives a part of its income
   from tourism; music festivals, art expositions and other cultural
   events are held in the municipality. Even though commercial areas are
   growing fast, agriculture still remains as an economic income in the
   rural areas of the municipality, which still represent the southern
   part of El Hatillo.

History

   In the 16th century, when the Spanish colonization in the area began,
   El Hatillo was inhabited by the indigenous tribe Mariches, descendants
   of the Caribs. Cacique Tamanaco was the leader of these tribes at the
   time. He is known for resisting the Spanish colonization, but very
   little is written about the origins of the Mariches. As the
   colonization developed, the indigenous habitants were killed. By orders
   of Caracas' founder Diego de Losada, Tamanaco was also murdered.

   Around 1752, Don Baltasar de León García arrived to El Hatillo from
   Cádiz, Spain, after completing his years as a prisoner at La Carraca
   for participating with his father in an insurgency against the
   Guipuzcoana Company. Don Baltasar founded El Hatillo Town, and he was
   one of the most significant contributors to its development at the
   time. Don Baltasar focused on making El Hatillo a strong, united and
   independent community. Don Baltasar tried to establish the place as a
   different parish from Baruta. On June 12, 1784, he accomplished this
   when the governor and the bishop agreed to declare the autonomy of El
   Hatillo in front of 180 Canary-descendant families, and under the
   direction of Don Baltasar. This date is currently accepted as the
   foundation of El Hatillo Town.

   In 1803, Don Baltasar and his brother-in-law donated their properties
   to urbanize the town. An engineer took care of the job, which included
   grid streets and a parish church, built in honour to Santa Rosalía de
   Palermo, who had supposedly saved Baltasar from a plague that killed
   his father in prison.
   This sign in front of Baltasar's house denotes how he donated his lands
   to construct El Hatillo Town (Click to read translation).
   Enlarge
   This sign in front of Baltasar's house denotes how he donated his lands
   to construct El Hatillo Town (Click to read translation).

   In 1809, Manuel de Escalona achieved the separation of El Hatillo from
   Petare, another suburb of Caracas, making it a different Tenientazgo de
   Justicia. On April 19, 1810, Escalona incorporated the town to the
   movement of independence, becoming another important person in the
   municipality.

   Ana Francisca Pérez García, Don Baltasar's wife, was also a significant
   woman in El Hatillo. She was caring with children, elders and ill
   citizens. Ana Francisca donated a considerable amount of money for the
   construction of a hospital in Petare after the 1812 earthquake. This
   hospital is currently known as the Pérez de León de Petare Hospital.

   Although El Hatillo was independent from Petare since 1809, it became
   part of Sucre Municipality at some point, which is where Petare is
   located. It is unclear how so happened, but on November 19, 1991,
   Miranda's Legislative Assembly gave El Hatillo full autonomy, making it
   an independent municipality. This decision was issued in Gaceta Oficial
   on January 17, 1992. In 1993, Mercedes Hernández de Silva was elected
   the first mayor of El Hatillo, who took charge until 1996, when Flora
   Aranguren was elected mayor. On 2000, Alfredo Catalán Schick was
   elected, and then re-elected in 2004 for another four-year term.

Geography

   Simulated-color Landsat 7 satellite image of Caracas with El Hatillo
   highlighted.
   Enlarge
   Simulated-colour Landsat 7 satellite image of Caracas with El Hatillo
   highlighted.
   Overview of southern El Hatillo Town. Las Marías neighborhood can be
   seen in the background.
   Enlarge
   Overview of southern El Hatillo Town. Las Marías neighbourhood can be
   seen in the background.

   El Hatillo Municipality is located at the northwest corner of the State
   of Miranda and at the southeast area of the city of Caracas. It is one
   of the state's 21 municipalities. El Hatillo is within the jurisdiction
   of the Alcaldía Mayor, which has power over three other adjacent
   municipalities of Miranda, and over Libertador Municipality in the
   Capital District. These five municipalities make up the city of
   Caracas. El Hatillo has a land size of 114 km², making it the third
   largest municipality in the capital. The municipality is located at the
   Serranía del Interior, a mountain range parallel to the Coastal Range,
   which spans east-west. The Turgua Range provides a natural boundary for
   the south of the municipality. El Hatillo limits north with Sucre and
   Baruta, south with Baruta and Paz Castillo, east with Sucre and Paz
   Castillo, and west with Baruta. The main streams in the municipality
   are Tusmare, at the centre of El Hatillo, and Prepo near the southern
   edge.

   The tallest peak in El Hatillo is Picacho de El Volcán, at 1,490 m over
   sea level, where many radio, television and telecommunication antennas
   serve Caracas. Despite its name, which in Spanish means "Peak of The
   Volcano", the mountain has no recorded volcanic history. Other
   significant mountains in El Hatillo are Gavilán (1,148 m), Topo de El
   Paují (1,245 m) and Topo de Piedras Pintadas (1,196 m).

Climate and environment

   El Hatillo has a slightly cooler weather than downtown Caracas, which
   is caused by the higher altitude of the municipality. The average
   temperatures are between 21 and 24 degrees Celsius (70-75 °F). In the
   highest elevations of the municipalities the temperature can decrease
   to 18 °C (64 °F) and the atmosphere may have constant fog. The mean
   precipitation is 997.3 millimeters a year; annual values can range from
   800 mm to 1500 mm. The average humidity index is 75%, and like in the
   rest of the country, the months of May through November belong to the
   rainy season while all other months correspond to the dry season. The
   winds are north alizé trade winds.

   The vegetation of El Hatillo is formed by dense forests in most of the
   municipality. Trees occupy 30% of the surface along water bodies.
   Smaller plants like shrubs take around 9% and herbs occupy a similar
   percentage. In 1972, the forests of El Hatillo were declared protected
   zone of the metropolitan area of Caracas. The municipality is home for
   a wide range of bird species, with more than two hundred of these
   animals registered, including various types of sparrowhawks, eagles,
   falcons, and owls. This has encouraged birdwatching in the area, an
   activity that is promoted by the authorities of Miranda, who have also
   supported conservation of the species.

Demographics

   Population pyramid for El Hatillo Municipality based on data from 2000.
   Enlarge
   Population pyramid for El Hatillo Municipality based on data from 2000.

   According to the 2001 census made by the National Institute of
   Statistics, El Hatillo Municipality has a population of 54,225
   inhabitants. 2000 data from the same institute states that 9.52% of El
   Hatillo's population are from ages 15 to 19. Regarding gender, for
   every 100 females there are 94.2 males. The unemployment rate (2000) is
   22.7%. The main cause of death (1999) is cancer, followed by heart
   diseases and violent deaths.
   El Calvario neighborhood (background) is a mild shanty town in the
   municipality.
   Enlarge
   El Calvario neighbourhood (background) is a mild shanty town in the
   municipality.

   Prior to the Spanish colonization, El Hatillo was inhabited by
   Mariches, a native tribe related to the Caribs. In the 16th century the
   indigenous inhabitants were killed by the explorers. When the
   development in El Hatillo began, Spaniards coming from the Canary
   Islands settled in the area. Similarly, families from Madeira,
   Portugal, immigrated to El Hatillo. With the progressive demographic
   increase, El Hatillo is not exclusive to any particular ethnic group.

Neighborhoods

   Even though there are no defined limits for the neighborhoods of El
   Hatillo, the government website divides the municipality into urban and
   rural. Concentrated in the northern region of the municipality, the
   urban neighbourhood are El Hatillo Town, El Calvario, La Lagunita, Alto
   Hatillo, La Boyera, Las Marías, Oripoto, Los Pomelos, Los Naranjos, Los
   Geranios, La Cabaña, Cerro Verde and Llano Verde, Colinas, Vista El
   Valle, Los Olivos, and El Cigarral. The rural localities of the
   municipality are located in southern El Hatillo. These are La Unión,
   Corralito, Turgua, La Hoyadita, Sabaneta, La Mata, Caicaguana, Los
   Naranjos and Altos de Halcón.

Economy

   The economy of El Hatillo Municipality can be broken down in three
   sectors: the commercial sector, which has been growing along with the
   demographic increase and is primarily represented by shopping malls and
   stores around the urban areas of the municipality; agricultural, in the
   southern half of the municipality and existing since the founding of El
   Hatillo; and tourism, which contributes significantly to El Hatillo's
   income and is promoted by the government.

   El Hatillo is a day visit for people in Caracas; the municipality is
   close to downtown, therefore, the place has been focused for tourism.
   Plaza Bolívar and its surroundings are very well maintained,
   additionally, the municipality government offers bus trips around the
   narrow streets of the town, showing people the colonial architecture.
   Handcrafted souvenirs are sold well. Hansi, a very popular shop offers
   all kinds of handcrafted products. There are at least three cultural
   centers in the municipality that attract tourists and residents to
   music festivals and art expositions. See activities and recreation
   below for more information.

   Businesses in the municipality are almost strictly commercial. This
   fact has been taken as a cause of the high traffic in El Hatillo; those
   seeking employment within the municipality will have a better chance of
   finding one under commercial activities, but for office jobs, citizens
   need to look outside El Hatillo. This status of office underdevelopment
   has been attributed to several issues, there is no room for large scale
   office constructions, and for terrains available, the costs go very
   high.

   Due to the increasing population, extensive shopping malls have been
   recently built in the municipality. Neighborhoods like La Lagunita, Los
   Naranjos and El Hatillo Town now offer large scale shopping malls with
   multiplex movie theaters, and the old typical houses of El Hatillo Town
   have been converted to shops, while preserving their colonial look. El
   Hatillo also receives income from agriculture.

Law and government

   The law of Venezuela specifies that municipal governments have four
   main functions. The executive function is managed by the mayor, who is
   in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The
   legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, formed by
   seven councillors. This entity in charge of the deliberation of new
   decrees and local laws. The comptrolling tasks are managed by the
   municipal comptroller's office, which is in charge of the revision of
   accountancy. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public
   Planning Council, whose job is of managing projects for the development
   of the municipality.

   The president of the Municipal Council is Leandro Pereira, supported by
   the political party Justice First. All but one of the seven councillors
   belong to parties opposed to President Hugo Chávez's administration.
   Additionally to the authorities mentioned before, there is a
   Legislative Commission, currently presided by councillor Salvador
   Pirrone. The commission's job is to assist the municipality in legal
   matters, like the creation of new laws and decrees.

   In March 8, 2000, the year after a new constitution was introduced in
   Venezuela, it was decreed in Gaceta Oficial N° 36,906 that the
   Metropolitan District of Caracas would be created, and that some of the
   powers of El Hatillo would be delegated to the Alcaldía Mayor, which
   would also start governing the Baruta, Libertador, Sucre and Chacao
   municipalities. Venezuelan municipalities are subdivided in parishes.
   Unlike other municipalities, El Hatillo only has one, the Santa Rosalía
   de Palermo Parish, sometimes denoted as Santa Rosalía de El Hatillo
   Parish or simply El Hatillo parrish.

   El Hatillo has had three mayors so far. From 1993 until 1996, Mercedes
   Hernández de Silva was the first mayor of the municipality. Following
   that, Flora Aranguen served from 1996 until 2000. That same year,
   Alfredo Catalán was elected mayor. In 2004 he was reelected; his term
   is set to end in 2008.

Catalan's administration

   In 2001 the mayor stated that his main goal for the municipality was to
   promote it as a touristic destination. In fact, Catalán's first year in
   office was focused on improving the appearance of the municipality, and
   the El Hatillo Independent Institute of Tourism and Recreation was
   created. Operation Joy (Spanish: Operación Alegría), a project that
   attempts to make the municipality cleaner and nicer, has been in action
   during Catalán's government.

   According to the municipality website, the current government has made
   improvements to the educational facilities of the area, including the
   repair of five state-owned schools that support 1,400 students. Special
   programs have been implemented for students, such as drug prevention,
   water conservation, the Francisco de Miranda Project, which suggests
   the use of technology to improve children's education, and other
   programs that also benefit the municipality by getting citizens more
   involved in the community activities.

   In terms of health, El Hatillo houses the Jesús Regetti Ambulatory,
   where citizens from inside and outside the municipality receive medical
   attention. According to the municipality, in 2004, 50,000 citizens of
   all ages benefited from this medical facility. The government claims
   that crimes that occur in El Hatillo only represent 1% of the crimes in
   Caracas. However, citizens criticize the municipality's insecurity and
   are unsure about the quality of health services and educational
   institutions. Read criticism below for more information.

Criticism

   Some individuals, such as the journalist Nelson Bocaranda, have
   criticized the municipal government regarding its insecurity. Several
   examples that support Bocaranda's criticism exist. In early March 2006,
   two 24 and 25 years old men were gunned down after leaving a party at
   two o'clock on a Sunday morning. On March 11, a 30 year old and a
   teenager died after being gun-shot 30 times at El Calvario
   neighbourhood. Bocaranda himself was a victim of death threats after
   criticizing Catalán's administration in his radio emission Los Run
   Runes de Nelson. According to the IFEX, the mayor's father Norberto
   Catalán, went to Bocaranda's office in La Lagunita with his bodyguard.
   Bocaranda was not in his office at the time, but his secretary was told
   that Norberto was armed and he would shoot the journalist if he did not
   take his comments back within 24 hours. The mayor's father also left
   threatening notes. A security video camera recorded the incident.

   Violence is not be the only problem, since some other governmental
   shortcomings are also apparent. Urban planning has been insufficient,
   the demographic increment in recent years has caused the traffic to
   collapse during rush hour, and the public services are insufficient in
   some areas. Neighbors claim that public schools are in a bad state and
   that many students cannot attend classes due to socioeconomic problems.
   Likewise, citizens have alerted the media that health services are
   mediocre in the municipality.

Bankruptcy

   In 2001, Alfredo Catalán mentioned in several occasions that the
   municipality was bankrupted. He said to the media that a lot had been
   done for El Hatillo for a first year in office, and since the beginning
   of his fist term, Catalán had given priority to tourism. Between the
   five municipalities of Caracas, El Hatillo receives the least income
   from taxes, but he believed that Operation Joy would give the residents
   trust in the mayor, and more investments have been done in culture and
   tourism than in a new local government headquarters for example.
   Catalán denounced that Flora Aranguren, the previous mayor, had left a
   deficit of almost US$500,000 between budget and treasury.

Education

   El Hatillo offers free public education. There is a total of seventeen
   primary education schools, in which eleven are public and six are
   private. Nineteen preschools exist, ten public and nine private. Data
   for secondary education is incomplete. It is only known that five
   private secondary schools exist in the municipality, but the number of
   public schools of this kind is unavailable. Note that the the data
   presented shows each educational stage separately, but a one facility
   may contain preschool, primary and secondary education.

   The municipality has only one higher education facility, Nueva Esparta
   University. This three ha institution located in Los Naranjos began as
   a project with the creation of Nueva Esparta school in 1954, but it was
   not until 1989 when the university was constructed. This university is
   privately owned.

Transportation

   The methods of transportation in the municipality are basically private
   vehicles and road public transportation. The geographic features of El
   Hatillo have made it hard to extend the Caracas Metro to southeast
   Caracas. A long range line of the metro known as Line 5 (Magneta) has
   been proposed, but likely due to the geographic characteristics of
   southeast Caracas, it has not been constructed. The municipality's
   latest urban planning has been unorganized. News archives show that at
   least since 1998, neighbors have been complaining about the dense
   traffic caused by new residential and commercial constructions. New or
   enhanced alternative roads that will definitely fix the problem have
   not been finished. A south beltway suggested 25 years ago has not been
   constructed due to high costs. However, as of January 2006, a new route
   that will connect La Lagunita with Macaracuay—a neighbourhood in
   northeast Caracas—is under construction and it is planned to be
   finished in 2010. According to Catalán, 23% of El Hatillo's inhabitants
   will eventually use this transit way.

   Even though local solutions, such as the ones mentioned above, may
   improve the traffic congestions that affect El Hatillo, the traffic
   issue is a large scale problem that affects the whole city. It is
   estimated that one million vehicles transit Caracas on a daily basis,
   making the transportation networks "collapse." The average speed of
   automobiles is 15 Km/h. Several causes for this problem have been
   given. According to the Venezuelan Society of Transportation Engineers,
   an organized city should give 20% of its public spaces to
   transportation; in Caracas, less than 12% of these areas are given for
   transit purposes. From 2001 to 2006, 250 000 new cars were sold in
   Caracas. Only in 2004, 50 000 vehicles were sold. In 2005, this number
   increased to 60 000, and as of November 2006, 70 000 cars have been
   sold since the year began. Public transportation is not fully reliable,
   an average trip in the city using mass transit takes around 90 minutes.

Culture

   The most significant icon of El Hatillo culture is Santa Rosalía de
   Palermo. Today, the church of El Hatillo Town is named after this
   saint, and the only parish in the municipality also has her name. The
   locals believe that Rosalía takes care of the people. The community is
   largely Catholic; handcrafted products in shops are religious, and the
   municipality holds the Santa Rosa de Lima Seminary, formerly San José
   Seminary. Like in the rest of Venezuela, in El Hatillo, the images of
   Jesus and Mary have become part of the art and culture.

   Don Baltasar de León is remembered for founding and developing El
   Hatillo, so is his wife Ana Francisca. Manuel Escalona is recognized
   for including El Hatillo in the movement of the independence in the
   19th century, as in the whole nation Simón Bolívar is considered a
   hero.

Heritage

   Sculpture of Santa Rosalía de Palermo, inside the church named after
   her.
   Enlarge
   Sculpture of Santa Rosalía de Palermo, inside the church named after
   her.

   Rosalía is the patron saint of El Hatillo, she was born in Palermo,
   Italy in 1130. Rosalía was first recognized in 1624 when a horrible
   plague haunted Palermo. Santa Rosalía appeared to many, and she became
   the patron of Palermo for saving many from the plague.

   Years later, El Hatillo's founder believed too that Santa Rosalía
   protected him from an infection. During the Guipuzcoana scandal in
   Venezuela, Baltasar's father Juan Francisco de León and his sons were
   held prisoner in Cádiz. Juan Francisco died as a consequence of
   smallpox, but Don Baltasar completed his years in prison and then moved
   to El Hatillo, bringing the legacy of Santa Rosalía de Palermo to El
   Hatillo, saying that she protected him from the pestilence that killed
   his father in Cádiz.

   Consequently, El Hatillo's culture has grown around its most important
   patron, Santa Rosalía is believed as the one who takes care of the
   people, she protects everyone from any pandemic that could hit the
   area. It was Don Baltasar who incorporated Rosalía to the culture of El
   Hatillo. In 1766 the first chapel—now in El Calvario neighbourhood—was
   built in El Hatillo, but in 1784 a bigger parish church was built,
   which was named Iglesia Santa Rosalía de Palermo.

Art and music

   Bolívar Square, the heart of El Hatillo.
   Enlarge
   Bolívar Square, the heart of El Hatillo.

   At the present there are frequent cultural events that revive the
   history of El Hatillo. The Cultural and Social Center El Hatillo, El
   Hatillo Art Centre and El Hatillo Atheneum are the places where most
   activities take place. Every year around the town's anniversary, the
   municipality's past is relived through the International Music Festival
   of El Hatillo and El Hatillo Week. There are also art galleries with
   frequent expositions. Holidays—whether they are nationwide or local—are
   always celebrated, and every September El Hatillo remembers Santa
   Rosalía de Palermo.

   El Hatillo is home for performances from national and international
   musicians. In November 2005, the 7th El Hatillo Jazz Festival took
   place, a ten-days event that brings many visitors to the municipality
   to hear the notes from the best national Jazz artists. In April 1,
   2006, Dave Samuels inaugurated a music festival in El Hatillo Art
   Centre. Samuels was followed by Simón Díaz, Steve Smith, Serenata
   Guayanesa, Mike Stern and other famous musicians in an event that was
   being held almost every Saturday until August 5.

   In May 2005, the local government and the Japanese Embassy organized
   the Japan Cultural Week, an exposition held in the Art Centre featuring
   bonsai, origami, kimonos, martial arts, anime and other manifestations
   of the Japanese culture. The event offered free workshops for learning
   these Japanese arts. Continuing cultural promotion in the municipality,
   in October 2005 the III Salón de Fotografía El Hatillo was organized, a
   photography contest for children, amateur and professional
   photographers.

Sports

   El Hatillo people also enjoy doing sports. La Lagunita Country Club is
   a very exclusive golf course in the wealthiest neighbourhood in El
   Hatillo. This is not the only sport alternative however. Polideportivo
   La Boyera, a public sport center in La Boyera neighbourhood, offers a
   baseball field, tennis courts, a multi-court, karate, aerobics, summer
   camps and other activities for the community at low rates and free of
   charge in some cases.

Tourism and recreation

   The hub of activity in El Hatillo is Bolívar Plaza (Spanish: Plaza
   Bolívar), a garden square encompassing the central block in the town of
   El Hatillo. Constructed in 1785, the Plaza was originally called Plaza
   Mayor or Plaza del Mercado. In 1911, a bust honoring Manuel Escalona
   was placed in the square, which was renamed in his honour. In 1952, the
   bust was replaced with a statue of Simón Bolívar, and the plaza was
   again renamed, after the Venezuelan hero. Across from the Bolívar
   Square is the 18th-century Santa Rosalía de Palermo Church, which was
   declared a National Historic Monument in 1960.
   The statue of Simón Bolívar, erected in 1952, replaced the one of
   Manuel Escalona.
   Enlarge
   The statue of Simón Bolívar, erected in 1952, replaced the one of
   Manuel Escalona.

   Between El Hatillo and La Lagunita is the smaller Manuel Escalona Plaza
   (Spanish: Plazoleta Manuel Escalona), another urban monument displaying
   the bust of Escalona that formerly occupied Bolívar Square. Sucre Plaza
   (Spanish: Plaza Sucre)—graced since 1915 with a ceiba tree at its
   centre—is in the southern part of town; this was historically where
   people tied their mules while frequenting The Four Corners. The Four
   Corners (Spanish: Las Cuatro Esquinas) was a convenient social
   gathering spot in El Hatillo, comprising a general store, hardware
   shop, gambling place and bar.

   La Lagunita is the site of one of the 15 Romanian Orthodox Churchs in
   the world since the widespread destruction of churches by the Ceacescu
   regime in Romania: the San Constantino and Santa Elena Romanian
   Orthodox Church. Only two of these churches are outside Romania, the
   other being in Switzerland. The building is an architectural work from
   the 16th century, brought from Romania, made completely from oak and
   fir woods, and detailed with more than 40,000 individually placed and
   carved tiles.

   For children, the Caicaguana hacienda in La Lagunita houses the
   Expanzoo, where visitors can see and touch exotic animals. The zoo is
   recognized for offering unique employment opportunities; the workers
   are from families with few resources, and the staff include the
   mentally ill. The Baby Zoo is a place for children to interact with
   animals; visitors can feed and touch the animals, ride horses and hire
   the location for special events. The Morro la Guairita National Park in
   El Cafetal—commonly known as the Indian Caves (Spanish: Cuevas del
   Indio)—is a system of 22 natural openings in the mountain, and the only
   place in Caracas where rock climbing is allowed. Guided tours are
   available, and views of El Ávila can be enjoyed while ascending the
   park.

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