La Libertad, Nicaragua facts for kids

Quick facts for kids La Libertad
Municipality
La Libertad Location in Nicaragua
Country	Nicaragua
Department	Chontales Department
Area
• Municipality	299 sq mi (775 km2)
Population  (2005)
• Municipality	11,429
• Density	38.195/sq mi (14.747/km2)
• Urban	4,887

La Libertad (pronounced la lee-ber-TAHD) is a town in Nicaragua. It is located in the Chontales Department. This town is famous for being the birthplace of important people. These include President Daniel Ortega, Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, and Vice President Omar Halleslevens. About 14,712 people live here.

Geography

La Libertad is about 32 kilometers (20 miles) from Juigalpa. It is also 175 kilometers (109 miles) from Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. The town is surrounded by other towns. To the north is Camoapa, and to the south is San Pedro de Lóvago. Santo Domingo and El Ayote are to the east. Juigalpa and Cuapa are to the west.

La Libertad is in the northern part of the Chontales Department. It is nestled between the Amerrisque mountain range. Rivers flow from these mountains down to nearby plains.

Climate

History

Early Settlement

Long ago, the area of La Libertad was likely home to the Mayangna and Carib people. They were later replaced by the Chontales people. The last Carib village was "El Jobo." It was located about 2 kilometers west of the current city. The village was left empty in 1730 because many people got sick with dysentery.

Between 1710 and 1817, Spanish people and mestizos (people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry) arrived. They started large cattle farms. They also found that the native people were washing gold from the Mico River. This discovery brought many people from Nicaragua and other countries to the area. This led to the creation of a settlement called "El Mineral."

Years later, the town was named "La Trinidad." One story says it was named after three brothers named Conrado who settled there. Another story says the first three leaders were all named "Miguel." They used one official signature, "La Trinidad."

According to historian Jerónimo Pérez, "El Mineral" was renamed "La Libertad" by a gambler named Conrado. He told his friends, who were being chased by the police, "Let's go to El Mineral; there is freedom to gamble, drink, and everything." Soon after, the name La Libertad became widely used.

Historians do not have exact records for the founding date of La Libertad. However, it is believed to have been founded between 1816 and 1852.

Town and City Status

La Libertad officially became a town in 1855. It was then made a "villa" (a larger town) in 1886. During the time of President José Santos Zelaya, La Libertad was officially made a city. This happened on March 13, 1895.

Population

La Libertad has a population of 14,712 people. About 50.9% of the people are men, and 49.1% are women. Nearly 46.2% of the population lives in the main urban area of the town.

Town Layout

The main part of La Libertad is located south of "La Cruz" hill. It is also on the banks of the Mico River. The town is divided into three main areas, which include four zones and seven neighborhoods:

• Tasbapriss Neighborhood
• "Camilo Ortega" Development
• "Villa Hermosa"
• "La Nueva Esperanza"
• "San Luis" Neighborhood
• "La Luz"
• "La Sapera"
• "Concepción de María" Neighborhood

The areas outside the main town are divided into 25 communities. These communities have their own smaller settlements. Some of these are El Castillo, Palmira, Tawa Arriba, Carquita, El Zancudo, Betulia, and Río Mico.

Economy

The economy of La Libertad mainly depends on two important activities. In the rural areas, people focus on livestock and cattle farming. In the urban and nearby areas, gold and silver mining are very important.

Many people live in small groups across the large territory. Some live in mountain areas like Betulia, Carquita, and Palmira. Others live in cooperative settlements such as San Marcos, Las Praderas, and La Victoria.

Large mining operations, like the Minisa Mining Company, are very important. There are also smaller groups of miners, like the Cooperative of Small Miners Production (Cooppemilich R.L.). The main ways people make a living in La Libertad are farming, raising animals, mining, and trading goods. La Libertad is also home to the largest open-pit mine in Nicaragua. This mine processes thousands of tons of earth and rocks every day.

Famous People

La Libertad is the hometown of several notable individuals:

• Miguel Obando y Bravo: He was a Cardinal in the Catholic Church. He was the first cardinal from Central America. He was also the Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Managua. Nicaragua's National Assembly declared him a National Hero.

• Daniel Ortega: He is a politician and former guerrilla fighter. He has served as the President of Nicaragua multiple times (1985–1990, 2007–2012, 2012–2017, 2017–2022, and 2022–2027). He is also the General Secretary of the FSLN political party. He was a leader in the Sandinista Popular Revolution.

• Rigoberto Cruz: He was a teacher and university professor. He helped start the FLN (National Liberation Front). He was a well-known Sandinista guerrilla fighter, also known as "Pablo Úbeda."

• Omar Halleslevens: He was a military commander and politician. He served as the Vice President of Nicaragua (2012–2017). He was also the Commander-in-Chief of the EPS (the Nicaraguan Army) from 2005 to 2010. He was a guerrilla commander in the Sandinista Popular Revolution.

• Walberto López Tenorio (1935–1973): He was a table tennis athlete. He was the National Champion for 18 years in a row (1956–1973), which is a record. He was also the Central American Champion for 5 years and the North America, Central America, and the Caribbean Champion in 1966.

• Carlos Garzón: He was a goldsmith and a business owner. He founded and owned the famous "Joyería Garzón" jewelry store.

See also

In Spanish: La Libertad (Nicaragua) para niños