By Joselina Rodríguez
On top of hosting delightful beaches, colourful traditions and friendly people, Barlovento is known for being one of the most important cocoa growing areas in the country, whose crops have been declared Cultural Assets, according to the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Venezuela, under the Resolution No. 003-05 dated February 20, 2005.
This appointment was done thanks to the historical, cultural and environmental value of these crops to local people, who, in their honour, have erected a monument to cocoa /”Monumento al Cacao” at the entrance of the village of San José de Barlovento in Miranda State.
This imposing and gleaming work created by the local artist and sculptor Nelson Batatino shows their gratitude and love towards the aromatic fruit, which was a product coveted for Europeans for many years during the colonial period.
The gigantic sculpture exhibits the ripe cocoa pod completely closed, standing on a base in the centre of a cosy plaza. At the moment, this about 10 meters tall “Monument to Cacao”, according to local people, is a tourist attraction which gives a great welcome to a town where the beaches, drums and cocoa are felt everywhere.
This slender figure represents a prospect of what can be found in the cocoa drying yards, where both humble houses as well as recognised farms offer tours of their facilities. There, on their concrete floors, you can see kilos of the exquisite seed exposed to the sun, waiting for drying and their subsequent grinding. The whole process could take from three to six days, depending on the atmospheric conditions of the region.
If you have the opportunity to visit this village on the coast, do not forget to get your pictures taken at this steady and solid monument, plentiful of art, culture and history, expecting to welcome you to this fertile, friendly and passionate land: Barlovento.
