Calabozo

The city is situated on an extensive alluvial plain associated with the Guárico River basin, whose hydraulic development profoundly transformed the territory from the 1950s onward. The construction of the Guárico River Irrigation System and the Generoso Campilongo Dam enabled the conversion of extensive savanna areas into irrigated farmland, consolidating Calabozo as Venezuela's main rice production center and a nationally significant agro-industrial hub.

From a historical perspective, Calabozo has a unique urban trajectory within the Venezuelan Llanos. Its origins date back to the expansion of Capuchin missions during the 18th century and its consolidation as a Spanish town in 1724, with subsequent royal confirmation in 1774. During the colonial period, the town developed a livestock-based economy that made it a political and commercial center of the central plains. Later, Calabozo actively participated in the Venezuelan War of Independence and served as the first capital of Guárico state following its creation in 1848.