Apparitions of Our Lady of Coromoto in Venezuela (I)

According to national tradition, at the time of the foundation of the town of Guanare, on November 3, 1591, one of the native tribes, the Kospes, fled into the jungle in direction of El Tocuyo, between Portuguesa and Lara. Later, the chief of the tribe and his wife were crossing a stream when they saw a marvelously beautiful woman who spoke to them in their dialect: "Go in the house of the white men and ask them to pour water on your head, so you can go to heaven." Some time later, on the banks of the Guanare River, the chief met Juan Sanchez, a Spaniard who was occupying the land near Soropo, and he told him about the apparition. Sanchez "recognized" the Virgin at once and asked the chief to bring his tribe with him eight days later, in order to give him teaching necessary for baptism. The chief kept his promise. The meeting took place at the junction of the Guanaguanare and Tucupido rivers. In agreement with the authorities who had named Sanchez holder of the land of which he could concede parcels to the Indians, Sanchez distributed some land to the Indians around the site of the apparition so that they could grow crops and set up camp there, while making their catechumenate for baptism. Almost all the tribe accepted the offer, except for the chief, who missed the jungle and his independence. Out there, he gave the orders; here, he was expected to obey?