Barquisimeto, city, northwestern Venezuela, capital of Lara State, on the Turbio River and on both the Pan-American and Trans-Andean highways, in a fertile agricultural region. Fiber bags, sandals, hammocks, leather goods, and tobacco products are manufactured in the city, and it is a trading center for coffee, sugar, cacao, cereals, cattle, and hides. Lisandro Alvarado University (1963) is here. Founded in the 16th century, the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812 and has been completely rebuilt. The Spanish adventurer Lope de Aguirre was defeated and killed here in 1561. Population (1991) 602,622.
