Plaza de toros Monumental de Maracaibo, Bullfighting arena in Maracaibo, Venezuela.
The Plaza de toros Monumental de Maracaibo is a circular concrete arena inaugurated on 18 November 1972 with capacity for 15,000 spectators. Its facade rises as a curved band of gray concrete with vertical seams, topped by a projecting roof ring on thick inward-slanting ribs; thin poles and rectangular light fixtures line the top edge. Below, dark rectangular openings and concrete columns sit behind a painted barrier wall with murals and a blue metal railing.
The site originally hosted the Plaza de Toros La Trinidad starting in 1966 before the current larger facility opened in 1972. This development marked the city's growth and the ongoing role of bullfighting in local traditions.
The arena holds a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, patroness of Maracaibo. Each 18 November, during the Feria de la Chinita, the Rosario de la Virgen was presented here after the main bullfight. Since 2018 the space has hosted the Festival Internacional de la Orquídea, broadcast by Venevisión, and the crowning of the Reina de la Chiquinquirá on Súper sábado sensacional.
The venue is managed by the Maracaibo city hall through SEDIPTODOS, and municipal offices such as the Dirección de Salud Pública operate inside, so some areas may be closed to casual visitors. The main events, including the Festival Internacional de la Orquídea, fall around the November Feria de la Chinita. The site lies in the Municipio Maracaibo, near the city centre.
The 2018 municipal decree by mayor Willy Casanova banned bullfighting and renamed the building gaitódromo "Ricardo Aguirre", after the Zulian gaita musician. It was later renamed Plaza para Todos under Rafael Ramírez Colina. The site now houses municipal offices such as the Dirección de Salud Pública, run by SEDIPTODOS.
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