Florida, Valle del Cauca

Florida is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

Its first inhabitants: indigenous peoples, mestizos, afro-latinos and mulattos, established a new and vibrant home to a mix of the many cultures existent in the South-Eastern region of Valle del Cauca. Bathed by the Santa Barbara, Fraile, Parraga, and Desbaratado Rivers, the fertility of the land has maintained Florida at the heart of agricultural production within the region.

The town is a lively source of commercial activity, stemming from its main road, known as "la Calle Novena" or "Ninth Street". Surrounding this road are many of the towns most modern developments, as well as a continuously growing community of establishments of all types, offering the many products and services necessary to the region. "La Novena" is also home to la Plaza De Mercado, a flea market which is the principal fountain for the employment of the people of Florida. People from the entire region of Valle del Cauca arrive each day at this market, both selling and buying many products and foods, including a variety of fruit, vegetables, and crafts.

Tourists are attracted to the natural wonders of the rivers and mountains in the region of Florida. "La Hoya", a water pool formed by a section of the Fraile River, attracts many visitors each day. The beautiful landscape can be enjoy from a hike into the mountains, where many visitors go to capture the view from above.

[Florida: Recuperando la Memoria Colectiva. Convenio Interinstitucional de Cooperacion y Cofinanciacion. Florida, Valle del Cauca. 2006.]

The FARC requested this municipality together with Pradera as free areas for them to operate in order to start the negotiation to exchange 44 hostages they had, at the time of their request, for guerilla fighters kept in prison by the Colombian government [http://www.eltiempo.com/politica/2008-01-15/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3920867.html El Tiempo, Enero 15 de 2008, Farc insisten en despeje de Florida y Pradera (Valle) para hacer el acuerdo humanitario] ] .

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