 Acalabash gourd orchitarero in the indigenous language, for which the Spanish named the Chitareros | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
Norte de Santander,Santander, ColombiaTáchira,  Venezuela | |
| Languages | |
| Chibcha,Colombian Spanish,Venezuelan Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional religion,Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Lache,U'wa,Muisca,Guane |
TheChitarero were an indigenousChibcha-speaking people in the Andes of north-eastern Colombia and north-western Venezuela. They were responsible for the death of the GermanconquistadorAmbrosius Ehinger in 1533 by means ofpoisoned arrows.
At the time of theSpanish conquest of the Chibchan Nations, their territory ranged from present-dayTáchira (Venezuela) to the northwest and south ofNorte de Santander Department and the northeast ofSantander Department (Colombia).[1] TheChicamocha River formed a southern boundary, the Valegra a southwestern, and the Surata a southeastern.[2] One of their settlements became the Colombian town ofChinácota; they were primarily known in the area ofPamplona, Colombia. At the refoundation of Pamplona in 1549 there were said to be 200,000 in the area.[3]
They were called "Chitareros" by the Spanish, because of the general custom that the men had to carry hanging from the waist acalabazo ortotumo (calabash gourds) with maize wine orchicha as the Spanish called it. Asking what the thing they carried was called, the natives responded that it was achitarero.
They traded with other peoples in the region, including theMuisca, theGuane andLache.