Fonseca is a municipality located in the Colombian Department of La Guajira. The town celebrates the Festival del Retorno in honor of St Augustine with religious celebrations, vallenato music events and others.

Geography The municipality of Fonseca has a total area of at an altitude of above sea level at the seat of the municipality. The municipality is on a depression in the valley of the Ranchería River which flows through the municipality from west to east, between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía del Perijá. Fonseca Developing Plan 2004: Area and Location

Fonseca's northern borders meet the municipality of Riohacha and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range; to the south, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Serranía del Perijá mountains; to the east, the municipality of Barrancas; and to the west, the municipality of San Juan del Cesar.

The average temperature throughout the year is , varying according to altitude due to the mountainous environment. The municipality's climate ranges from hot semi-arid (Köppen BSh), as at the weather station of La Paulina, to tropical savanna (Aw) in wetter locations. There is a long, though not intense, wet season from April to November and a dry season from December to March with very little or no rain.

Climate

History The area of Fonseca has been inhabited by different indigenous groups including Chimila, Tupe, Wayuu, Cariachile people and Motilon.

The date of Fonseca's original founding is uncertain, and there are two hypotheses about the foundation of Fonseca. One suggests that it was the Catalan colonizer Agustín Fonseca and, and the other, that it was the Italian José Agustín Parodi.

Agustín Fonseca was the leader of a group of adventurers who settled by the Ranchería river, until a rainy season lead to the river flooding the area and bringing diseases. They then moved to a dryer location, on what is supposedly the present-day main plaza of Fonseca.

José Agustín Parodi was a captain of the Spanish Crown and arrived by orders of the Spanish monarchy.

In 1773, Fonseca was registered as a jurisdiction of Santa Marta. On June 13, 1829, Decree 1954 established Fonseca as a municipality of the Intendencia of La Guajira. In 1954, La Guajira was re-established as an Intendencia and, in 1964, La Guajira separated from Magdalena and became its own Department.

Colombian armed conflict

Since the 1970s, Barrancas has been influenced by the Colombian armed conflict because of its strategic location between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Serranía del Perijá mountain ranges and the border with Venezuela. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), through its Caribbean Bloc's 59th, 19th and 41st fronts, and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla Gustavo Palmesano Front have practiced selective assassinations, kidnappings, extortions, forcedly recruitments, town sieges, arms and illegal drugs trafficking among others against the Colombian government and the civilian population.

The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) appeared in the area in the early 2000s led by alias Jorge 40. After a violent presence in the area, but also dissipating the guerrilla presence, the AUC demobilized in 2006.

Politics

Administrative divisions

Fonseca comprises three : Conejo, El Hatico and Sitio Nuevo. It also has eight : Bangañitas, El Confuso, Los Altos, Sabaneta, Los Pondores, Cardonal, Trigo and Cañaboba. There are twenty : El Porvenir, El Potrero, Jaguey, Puyalito, El Puy, Potrerito, Los Toquitos, Hatico Viejo, La Yaya, San Agustín, Puerto López, Las Bendiciones, Las Marimondas, Las Colonias, La Villa, Guamachal, Mamarongo, El Chorro and Mamonal.

It has 32 urban neighborhoods, and several rural communities including La Mana, La Union, Arroyo Hondo, Sabana el Medio San Agustin, El Puy, El Toco, Los Roquitos and others. There is one indigenous reserve called Resguardo Indígena de Mayabangloma.

Demographics

Population data pertaining to the municipality of Fonseca from the year 2000 to 2004.

Year Urban Rural Total 2000 22,923 3,126 26,049 2001 23,702 3,232 26,934 2002 24,508 3,342 27,580 2003 25,341 3,456 28,797 2004 26,203 3,547 29,777 As of 2024, Fonseca had 45,706 urban residents and 5,482 rural residents, totalling 51,118.

Culture

Fonseca celebrates the Festival del Retorno (Festival of the Return) every year in which people from Fonseca living in other towns, regions or countries are celebrated for their return to town. mifonseca.net: Festival del Retorno

References

External links Fonseca official website Gobernacion de La Guajira - Fonseca mifonseca.com - Festival del Retorno in Fonseca