Guanare

Guanare stands where the western Venezuelan llanos meet the foothills of the Andes, between the drainage systems of the Portuguesa and Guanare rivers. The city began as a Spanish colonial foundation on 3 November 1591. Its founder, Juan Fernández de León, was a Portuguese-born resident and encomendero of Caracas acting with the authorization of Governor Diego de Osorio. The settlement received the lengthy name Espíritu Santo del Valle de San Juan de Guanaguanare.

Guanare formed part of the Spanish advance into the western plains. Together with Altamira de Cáceres and San Sebastián de los Reyes, it gave the conquerors an entry into the llanos. Its foundation thus belonged to a particular stage of territorial expansion from established settlements toward the lowlands. The river basins and the meeting of mountain and plain help explain the site chosen for this new town.