Dust and the Arauca soul

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BP-Llano

 

At the fringes of the Llanos Orientales, where the Eastern plains meet the Orinoco, cattle are grazing. The last rays of sunlight bathe this corner of Arauca in a golden glow and a picture perfect moment for photographer Carlos Pineda. Settled by the Arawak, a native tribe which cultivated the fields and forests of the Orinoco Basin, the Araucan territory was discovered by German explorer and conquistador, Jorge de Espira (also known as Georg von Speyer) in 1536 while searching in southwestern Venezuela and northern Colombia for his “El Dorado.” By the mid 17th century, colonization by the Spanish was well underway and Arauca became incorporated into the colonies of the New Granada. Covering an area of 24,000 square kilometres, the department of Arauca faces Venezuela and its main river, the Río Arauca, serves as a lifeline for locals on both sides of the border. While rich in oil and home to many refineries, beef cattle production is the region’s main economic engine for thousands of ganaderos. And this prairie paradise has also been immortalised in song, especially one hymn to the herons, sunsets and rippling of the Arauca River: the Alma Llanera (My Llanos’ Soul) by Venezuelan composer Simon Díaz.

 

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