Dibulla, La Guajira
Encyclopedia
Dibulla is a town and municipality located in the Department
of La Guajira, Colombia
by the Caribbean sea
and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
mountains on the Guajira Peninsula
. It was proclaimed municipality in 1995.
The town is mostly recognized for being the birthplace of renown vallenato
composer Carlos Huertas
and his song "El Cantor de Fonseca".
; to the north with the Caribbean sea
by the steps of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
mountains (northeasatern side). Located 74 km away from La Guajira's capital Riohacha
in route to the city of Santa Marta
, it is crossed by the river of the same name, the Dibulla River and also the Jérez River
.
The municipality has a total area of 1,847 km² and its only 2 m above sea level. The average temperature is of 28°C. Its main attraction relies on a recreational center called Maziruma, a beach resort.
The area of present-day municipality of Dibuya was inhabited predominantly during the Pre-Columbian
era by indigenous tribes pertaining to the Koguis
and Guanebucanes ethnic groups descendants of the Tairona
civilization with a direct influence from the Wayuu
ethnic group. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas
, the indigenous village of Yaharo was first seen by Spanish explorers upon reaching the coasts of the Guajira Peninsula
in 1502. In 1525, Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas
visited the Yaharo Town and registered an account of the village. A year before, in 1524 Bastidas had created the Government of Santa Marta which covered an area from Cabo de la Vela
to the mouth of the Magdalena River
.
Between 1609 and 1640, the Spanish colonizers imported some 800 or more African slaves. Most of these later escaped and formed Palenques. In 1679 the Government of Santa Marta offered these palenques their freedom in exchange of protecting the territory from English pirates.
In 1846 then President of Colombia
, Gen. Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera
ordered the reestablishment of the government after the War of the Supremes
civil war. Yaharo was renamed to Dibuya which translates from the Guanebucan language to "lagoon by the sea", lagoon which is located in the region of the Ramada.
In 1872 Dibuya became a municipality seat or district by law 216 of this same year and was part of the Department of Magdalena. In 1886 this category was removed by interim governor of the department Luis Cotes by Decree 377 of February 17, 1886 when the United States of Colombia
was dissolved. The Council of Riohacha formally created the Corregimiento of Dibuya on April 1, 1887.
From the 1970s and until approximately 1989 two families from the Department of La Guajira
; the Cárdenas and the Valdeblánquez engaged in a war for the control of the marijuana. The confrontation between the two families gained national attention and directly affected those family members living in Dibuya, as well as those living from Barranquilla
and Santa Marta
to Riohacha
, Maicao and Valledupar
in the Caribbean Region of Colombia.
On December 5, 1995 the Department Assembly of La Guajira created the Municipalilty of Dibuya by Ordinance 030 of that same year. Cristian Montero Córdoba became its first appointed mayor by Decree 350 of December 28, 1995.
Corregimiento
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...
of La Guajira, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
by the Caribbean sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range apart from the Andes chain that runs through Colombia. Reaching an altitude of 5,700 metres above sea level just 42 km from the Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada is the world's highest coastal range...
mountains on the Guajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula , is a peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea...
. It was proclaimed municipality in 1995.
The town is mostly recognized for being the birthplace of renown vallenato
Vallenato
Vallenato, along with cumbia, is currently a popular folk music of Colombia. It primarily comes from the Colombia's Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in...
composer Carlos Huertas
Carlos Huertas (vallenato composer)
Carlos Huertas Gómez was a Colombian vallenato music composer predominantly, singer and guitarist...
and his song "El Cantor de Fonseca".
Geography
Dibulla limits to the west with the Magdalena DepartmentMagdalena Department
Magdalena is a department of Colombia, located to the north of the country by the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Magdalena Department is Santa Marta and was named after the Magdalena River...
; to the north with the Caribbean sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
by the steps of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range apart from the Andes chain that runs through Colombia. Reaching an altitude of 5,700 metres above sea level just 42 km from the Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada is the world's highest coastal range...
mountains (northeasatern side). Located 74 km away from La Guajira's capital Riohacha
Riohacha
Riohacha, Rio Hacha or Rio de la Hacha , is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean sea, capital city of the La Guajira Department. Founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535, Riohacha was named...
in route to the city of Santa Marta
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
, it is crossed by the river of the same name, the Dibulla River and also the Jérez River
Jerez River
The Jerez is a river in western Serbia, a 56 km-long right tributary to the Sava river.-Pocerina section:...
.
The municipality has a total area of 1,847 km² and its only 2 m above sea level. The average temperature is of 28°C. Its main attraction relies on a recreational center called Maziruma, a beach resort.
History
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
era by indigenous tribes pertaining to the Koguis
Koguis
The Kogi or Cogui or Kaggabba, translated "jaguar" in the Kogi language are a Native American ethnic group that lives in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. They are one of the few surviving Pre-Columbian civilizations of South America...
and Guanebucanes ethnic groups descendants of the Tairona
Tairona
Tairona was a group of chiefdoms in the region of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in present-day Cesar, Magdalena and La Guajira Departments of Colombia, South America, which goes back at least to the 1st century AD and had significant demographic growth around the 11th century.The Tairona people...
civilization with a direct influence from the Wayuu
Wayuu
Wayuu is an Amerindian ethnic group of the La Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela. They are part of the Maipurean language family.- Geography :...
ethnic group. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
, the indigenous village of Yaharo was first seen by Spanish explorers upon reaching the coasts of the Guajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula , is a peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea...
in 1502. In 1525, Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas
Rodrigo de Bastidas
Rodrigo de Bastidas was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who mapped the northern coast of South America and founded the city of Santa Marta.-Early life:...
visited the Yaharo Town and registered an account of the village. A year before, in 1524 Bastidas had created the Government of Santa Marta which covered an area from Cabo de la Vela
Cabo de la Vela
Cabo de la Vela is a headland in the Guajira Peninsula in Colombia with an adjacent small fishing village. It is a popular ecotourism destination of the Caribbean Region of Colombia-History:...
to the mouth of the Magdalena River
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River is the principal river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, in spite of the shifting sand bars at the mouth of its delta, as...
.
Between 1609 and 1640, the Spanish colonizers imported some 800 or more African slaves. Most of these later escaped and formed Palenques. In 1679 the Government of Santa Marta offered these palenques their freedom in exchange of protecting the territory from English pirates.
In 1846 then President of Colombia
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
, Gen. Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera y Arboleda was a Colombian general and political figure. He was president of Colombia four times. The first time was as president of Republic of New Granada from 1845 to 1849. During the Colombian Civil War of 1860-1862 he led liberal forces in a civil war against...
ordered the reestablishment of the government after the War of the Supremes
War of the Supremes
The War of the Supremes was a civil conflict in Republic of the New Granada from 1839 to 1841 caused by the ambitions of various regional leaders to seize power and depose President José Ignacio de Márquez...
civil war. Yaharo was renamed to Dibuya which translates from the Guanebucan language to "lagoon by the sea", lagoon which is located in the region of the Ramada.
In 1872 Dibuya became a municipality seat or district by law 216 of this same year and was part of the Department of Magdalena. In 1886 this category was removed by interim governor of the department Luis Cotes by Decree 377 of February 17, 1886 when the United States of Colombia
United States of Colombia
The United States of Colombia was the name adopted in 1861 through the Rionegro Constitution for the nation which had been known as the Republic of New Granada since the dissolution of the federation of Gran Colombia in 1830-1831....
was dissolved. The Council of Riohacha formally created the Corregimiento of Dibuya on April 1, 1887.
From the 1970s and until approximately 1989 two families from the Department of La Guajira
Department of La Guajira
La Guajira is a department of Colombia. It occupies most of its namesake peninsula, the Guajira Peninsula in the northeast region of the country, facing the Caribbean Sea and Venezuela in the northern most part of South America...
; the Cárdenas and the Valdeblánquez engaged in a war for the control of the marijuana. The confrontation between the two families gained national attention and directly affected those family members living in Dibuya, as well as those living from Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
and Santa Marta
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
to Riohacha
Riohacha
Riohacha, Rio Hacha or Rio de la Hacha , is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean sea, capital city of the La Guajira Department. Founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535, Riohacha was named...
, Maicao and Valledupar
Valledupar
Valledupar is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department and was founded in 1550 by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Santana. Its name, Valle de Upar , was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; Cacique Upar...
in the Caribbean Region of Colombia.
On December 5, 1995 the Department Assembly of La Guajira created the Municipalilty of Dibuya by Ordinance 030 of that same year. Cristian Montero Córdoba became its first appointed mayor by Decree 350 of December 28, 1995.
Administrative divisions
The Municipality of Dibulla is made formed by five corregimientos, two inspecciones de policía (Police Inspections) and twenty nine veredas:Dibulla neighborhoods
- El Peru
- La Marina
- Las casitas
- Miramar
- Rincon Guapo
- Tierra Baja
CorregimientoCorregimientoCorregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. According to the Colombian Constitution of 1991 and Decree 2274 of October 4, 1991, Corregimiento is an internal part of a Department or province, which includes a population core...
s
- Campana Nuevo
- La Punta de los Remedios
- Las Flores
- Mingueo
- PalominoPalomino, ColombiaPalomino is a small town on the Caribbean coast of Colombia located in the Guajira region of Colombia, approximately 70 km from Santa Marta and 90 km from Riohacha.- Location :...
- Rio Ancho
Veredas
- Casa Aluminio
- Chimgale
- Cuatro Veredas
- El Cerro Jerez
- El Limonal
- Larga La Vida
- Mosca