Curaco de Vélez
Encyclopedia
Curaco de Vélez is Chile
an commune in Chiloé Archipelago
which is part of Chiloé Province
and Los Lagos Region
. The commune is located in western Quinchao Island
while the eastern part is administered by the commune of Quinchao
.
that took possession of the Straights of Magellan in 1843 for Chile. Hydrographer and explorer Francisco Hudson
was also native to the town.
It is said that Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas was born in Changüitad. In his career he cruised the entire coastline of Chile caring out many delicate and important missions. The nation could not have found a more suitable commander than Riveros to defend the country in the War of the Pacific
(1879).
On 13 and 15 January 1881, in command of his squadron, Riveros provided protective fire for the army assault that defeated the Peru
vian forces leading to the surrender of Lima
and Callao
. The unaffected lives of Almirante
Galvarino Riveros and Rear Admiral
Manuel Oyarzún, architects of Chilean victory in the War of the Pacific remain a lesson to each succeeding generation of Chileans.
One of the attractions for a visitor is the characteristic vernacular architecture of Chiloé
that makes good use of features such as balconies and lookouts that create an air of simplicity and originality.
Churches dating from the 18th and 19th century reflect a strong faith. These are constructed of timber from the noble alerce and cypress trees.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Curaco de Vélez spans an area of 80 sqkm and has 3,403 inhabitants (1,642 men and 1,761 women), making the commune an entirely rural area. The population grew by 12.6% (382 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Luis Curumilla Sotomayor (PDC
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Curaco de Vélez is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Gabriel Ascencio (PDC) and Alejandro Santana (RN
) as part of the 58th electoral district, (together with Castro
, Ancud
, Quemchi
, Dalcahue
, Quinchao
, Puqueldón
, Chonchi
, Queilén
, Quellón
, Chaitén
, Hualaihué
, Futaleufú
and Palena
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Camilo Escalona Medina (PS
) and Carlos Kuschel Silva (RN) as part of the 17th senatorial constituency (Los Lagos Region).
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an commune in Chiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago consists of several islands lying off the coast of Chile. It is separated from mainland Chile by Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and Gulf of Corcovado to the southeast. All of the archipelago except Desertores Islands, which are part of Palena...
which is part of Chiloé Province
Chiloé Province
Chiloé Province is one of the four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Los Lagos . It encompasses all of Chiloé Archipelago with the exception of the Desertores Islands. The province spans a surface area of...
and Los Lagos Region
Los Lagos Region
Los Lagos Region is one of Chile's 15 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena. The region contains the country's second largest island, Chiloé, and the second largest lake, Llanquihue.Its capital is Puerto Montt;...
. The commune is located in western Quinchao Island
Quinchao Island
Quinchao Island is an island in Chiloé Province, Chile, off the east coast of Chiloé Island. It has an area of 135 km2 and a population of ca 12,000. It includes the communes of Quinchao and Curaco de Vélez. Main towns are Achao and Curaco de Vélez. Quinchao Island is separated from Chiloé...
while the eastern part is administered by the commune of Quinchao
Quinchao
-External links: *...
.
History
Curaco is proud of its association with several famous Chilean sailors. From the War of the Pacific are Admiral Galvarino Riveros and Rear Admiral Manuel Oyarzún. Also remembered is Carlos Miller Norton navigator of the Goleta AncudAncud
Ancud is a city in southern Chile located in the northernmost part of the island and province of Chiloé, in Los Lagos Region .-Geography:...
that took possession of the Straights of Magellan in 1843 for Chile. Hydrographer and explorer Francisco Hudson
Francisco Hudson
thumb|right|250px|Map showing in yellow the main route used to reach [[Punta Arenas]] by sea from [[Ancud]], and in orange Hudson's proposed route. The red dot shows the 20 km wide [[Ofqui Isthmus]] the only obstacle that makes this route intransitable....
was also native to the town.
It is said that Galvarino Riveros Cárdenas was born in Changüitad. In his career he cruised the entire coastline of Chile caring out many delicate and important missions. The nation could not have found a more suitable commander than Riveros to defend the country in the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
(1879).
On 13 and 15 January 1881, in command of his squadron, Riveros provided protective fire for the army assault that defeated the Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian forces leading to the surrender of Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
and Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
. The unaffected lives of Almirante
Almirante
Almirante is a city in the Bocas del Toro Province of the Republic of Panama. Its name is Spanish for Admiral.-Tourist Use:For travelers, Almirante is mainly used as a jumping off point for land travel to other cities on the mainland, Panama or to Costa Rica. An approximately 30-minute water taxi...
Galvarino Riveros and Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Manuel Oyarzún, architects of Chilean victory in the War of the Pacific remain a lesson to each succeeding generation of Chileans.
Architecture
In 1660 the Jesuits noted simple dwellings here. The first haphazard buildings were of timber and straw. By 1724 the population was 262 made up of 33 families. By the beginning of the 20th century it had not grown much and the settlement was small and poor without streets or landing places. In 1901 Bishop Ramón Angel Jara created the parish and took up the task of giving it a structure that would allow for future growth.One of the attractions for a visitor is the characteristic vernacular architecture of Chiloé
Chiloé Province
Chiloé Province is one of the four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Los Lagos . It encompasses all of Chiloé Archipelago with the exception of the Desertores Islands. The province spans a surface area of...
that makes good use of features such as balconies and lookouts that create an air of simplicity and originality.
Churches dating from the 18th and 19th century reflect a strong faith. These are constructed of timber from the noble alerce and cypress trees.
Demographics
According to the 2002 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of the National Statistics Institute
National Statistics Institute (Chile)
The National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
, Curaco de Vélez spans an area of 80 sqkm and has 3,403 inhabitants (1,642 men and 1,761 women), making the commune an entirely rural area. The population grew by 12.6% (382 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Curaco de Vélez is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal councilMunicipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
, headed by an alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Luis Curumilla Sotomayor (PDC
Christian Democratic Party
Christian democratic parties are those political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching, and it continues to be influential in Europe and...
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Curaco de Vélez is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
by Gabriel Ascencio (PDC) and Alejandro Santana (RN
National Renewal (Chile)
National Renewal , is a liberal conservative political party belonging to the Chilean right-wing political coalition Coalition for Change in conjunction with the Independent Democratic Union and the Chile First movement...
) as part of the 58th electoral district, (together with Castro
Castro, Chile
Castro is a city and commune in the Chilean island of Chiloé Island. Castro is the capital of the Chiloé Province in the Los Lagos Region. It is Chile's third oldest city in continued existence...
, Ancud
Ancud
Ancud is a city in southern Chile located in the northernmost part of the island and province of Chiloé, in Los Lagos Region .-Geography:...
, Quemchi
Quemchi
Quemchi is a Chilean town and commune in Los Lagos Region, located in the eastern shore of Chiloé Island. It acquired certain celebrity because the famous Chilean writer Francisco Coloane was born nearby the town.-History:...
, Dalcahue
Dalcahue
Dalcahue is a port town and a commune on Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region, Chile.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute, the Dalcachue commune spans an area of and had 10,693 inhabitants; of these, 4,933 lived in urban areas and 5,760 in rural areas. At...
, Quinchao
Quinchao
-External links: *...
, Puqueldón
Puqueldón
Puqueldón is Chilean commune in Chiloé Archipelago which is part of Chiloé Province and Los Lagos Region. The commune is located on Lemuy Island. Puqueldón was one of the town to receive the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations scholarship in 2002.-History:...
, Chonchi
Chonchi
Chonchi is a Chilean town and commune located in Los Lagos Region. Chonchi is a truly rural community. The country people have given a distinct form to its valleys, hills and waterways...
, Queilén
Queilén
Queilén is a town and commune in the Archipelago of Chiloé in southern Chile. It covers a portion of the southeast of the Greater Island of Chiloé, between the communes of Chonchi, Quellón, Tranqui Island and Acuy Island...
, Quellón
Quellón
Quellón is a Chilean port city and commune in southern Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region. It is considered an end-station of the Panamerican Highway and the Pacific Coastal Highway. The majority of men work on small boats called "lanchas" for days at a time fishing...
, Chaitén
Chaitén
Chaitén is a Chilean town, commune and former capital of the Palena Province in Los Lagos Region. The town is located north of the mouth of Yelcho River, on the east coast of the Gulf of Corcovado...
, Hualaihué
Hualaihué
Hualaihué is a Chilean commune located in Palena Province, Los Lagos Region. The communal capital is the town of Hornopirén.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Hualaihué spans an area of and has 8,273 inhabitants . Of these, 2,406 lived in urban areas...
, Futaleufú
Futaleufú, Chile
Futaleufú is a Chilean town and commune located in Palena Province, Los Lagos Region. The commune is named after Futaleufú River. Due to the eruption of Chaitén Volcano and the subsequent destruction of Chaitén, Futaleufú has been the capital of Palena Province since March 2009. The town is close...
and Palena
Palena, Chile
Palena is a Chilean commune located in Palena Province, Los Lagos Region. The commune is named after Palena Lake.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Palena spans an area of and has 1,690 inhabitants , making the commune an entirely rural area...
). The commune is represented in the Senate
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
by Camilo Escalona Medina (PS
Socialist Party of Chile
The Socialist Party of Chile is a political party, that is part of the center-left Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. Its historical leader was the late President of Chile Salvador Allende Gossens, who was deposed by General Pinochet in 1973...
) and Carlos Kuschel Silva (RN) as part of the 17th senatorial constituency (Los Lagos Region).