Puerto Casado (formerly known as La Victoria) is one of the 4 districts in Alto Paraguay Department,
Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
. It includes the town of La Victoria or Puerto La Victoria, which has a population of around 7,800.
History and tourism
Founded in 1889 in time of President
Patricio Escobar
Patricio Escobar (March 17, 1843 – April 19, 1912) was President of Paraguay between November 25, 1886, and November 25, 1890.
His life
Escobar was born in San José de los Arroyos on March 17, 1843. His parents were José Escobar and Ana Be ...
, formerly known as Angel Custodio. It was based on Enterprise Taninera Carlos Casado, which is also called "Puerto Casado." Elevated by district in 1973.
This was used as a port of transit for Paraguayan troops on their way to fight the Bolivians during the
Chaco War
The Chaco War (, Mennonites
Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...
and Paraguayan soldiers passed, using the narrow-gauge trains of the Chaco Central railroad that extended 145 km west from the River Paraguay. The first Mennonite settlers arrived here in 1926.
In Puerto Casado there are places of historical epoch of the
Chaco War
The Chaco War (, Concepcion. Another boat that is here for the "Cacique II," which part of Asuncion for Vallemí.
At Galvan Hill one can still see the old railroad tracks. Here Emiliano R. Fernández wrote his poem "The Fashion" in 1926. This is the first railroad station of importance along the railroad.
The railway was built by the company for the extraction of timber, with nearly 150 km of narrow gauge track into the heart of the Chaco. The same route of the railway was extended up to 160 km, which enabled the Paraguayan troops in campaign to access the fortresses to stop the advance of Bolivians in this vast territory during the Chaco War.
During the
Chaco War
The Chaco War (, Tannin
Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...
is a substance extracted from the "quebracho" tree, used for tanning hides. The son of the founder, José Casado, arrived in 1929 to manage the site, lived on site until 1945.
During the Chaco War, the facilities were used as workshops for all kinds of machinery, armaments, especially motor vehicles, before being sent into battle. It also was used as river port and military post.
In 1931 the Command Infantry Division was installed at the port, José Félix Estigarribia accepted the post of Commander that he proposed the then president Joseph P. Guggiari since late July, 1931 Estigarribia was already installed there. When the new commander settled in the place, the owner of the factory provided him with a house, called "La Chaqueña", a large and comfortable residence located in the city centre.
Emiliano R. Fernandez, popular poet and musician, often called the "northern poet," to 1923 was in Puerto Casado, where he performed several tasks. Often his works are signed as having been written in Alto Paraguay.
As for handicrafts, in the early 80's a former worker of the company had the idea of making a guampa (mate cup) for his own use from pieces of the stainless steel that was used to store tannin. The idea was warmly accepted and began to receive orders and the manufacturer improved technology and creating new models of guampa for drinking mate and terere. Today these are manufactured in various designs on special orders for gifts or as souvenirs of Puerto Casado.
In the Paraguay and Apa Rivers and in the many streams in the area, an important tourist activity is
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
.
Etymology
Puerto Casado is a company town founded by the Compañía Carlos Casado, established in the city of
Rosario
Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city, located northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the ...
(
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
). For many years, quebracho logs were processed into tannin here. In the late 1990s, the company ceased production and the tannin operation was closed down.
Geography
The terrain is a plain that does not exceed 300 meters above sea level. There are sporadic and undulations of fertile land, used for agriculture and animal husbandry.
Climate
The climate is tropical, with a maximum of 45 degrees Celsius in summer, and a minimum of 9 degrees Celsius in winter. The average is 25 degrees. We present long drought followed by torrential rains.
The climate of Puerto Casado can be classified as
tropical savannah climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...
(Aw).
Demography
La Victoria has a total of 6,489 inhabitants, of whom 3304 are men and 3185 women, according to estimates by the Directorate General of Statistics, Census and Surveys.
Economy
Its main business is animal husbandry. Previously the company was located here taninera Carlos Casado Ltda.
One of the largest companies in the country was the company Carlos Casado, former factory tannin, about the company looks at the homes of former employees and owners, as well as the old Hotel de Puerto Casado.
Pilgrimage "Ñanda Yvyrekávo"
In search of our land, ''Guarani', with whom he traveled nearly 600 km from Puerto Casado to Asuncion, 156 km for six days on foot and the rest by truck. The villagers say it is the longest in the social struggle in the country. They call on the government to expropriate the property sold by the Casado Company to Moon Sect, which includes the district.
Transportation
The town can be reached by Transchaco Highway (National Route N° 9), to the junction of the Pioneers, located 409 km from Asunción, then an unpaved road to Puerto Casado, about 230 km east, this is the Amalia Route.
In Puerto Casado there is a landing strip for aircraft, La Victoria Airport, and one can also get to Puerto Casado by riverboat.
Sources
Fretz, Joseph W. ''Pilgrims in Paraguay: The Story of Mennonite Colonization in South America''. Scottdate: Herald Press, 1953. Pp. 12-26.
* – World-Gazetteer.com
* Geography Illustrated
Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
, Distributed Arami SRL, 2007.
* Geography of Paraguay, First Edition 1999, Publisher Hispanic Paraguay SRL