Contract entered into by the President of the State of Miranda with Engineer José Vicente Rodríguez Arismendi for the establishment of two steel cableway lines, one between La Victoria and San Juan de los Morros, and the other between Altagracia de Orituco and the Federal District. This contract is located in box number 15 of the Ignacio Andrade Archive, which is part of the Manuscript and Documentary Archive Collection of the National Library of Venezuela. This contract concerning steel cableway lines consists of 19 articles, which specify the details regarding the construction, operation, and utility of this means of transportation. Article One states:
"José Vicente Rodríguez and his heirs undertake to establish two steel cableway lines for the transport of goods, animals, timber, money, and even passengers, provided that said lines offer all the necessary safety for the latter service. The first of these lines will be established between La Victoria and San Juan de los Morros, passing through Pao de Zárate and Villa de Cura, with branches to the Chacao mines and those discovered by General J. Crespo. The second line will run between Altagracia de Orituco and the border of Miranda State with the Federal District, near the town of El Valle, passing through San Casimiro, Cúa, and Ocumare del Tuy.
According to the document, the first line must be completed within three years and the second within four years from the signing of the contract. Furthermore, we read in Article Nine:
"The transport cables will be moved by gas, hydraulic, electric or steam engines, or by any other system known or yet to be discovered, at the judgment and convenience of the Company.”
Consulting this contract undoubtedly makes it an invaluable documentary source on the evolution of transportation in Venezuela. Furthermore, this historical document serves as a reference point or precedent today, especially regarding the implementation and operation of this transportation system in Venezuela. Its functionality and benefits for citizens can be verified on cable car lines such as the San Agustín Metrocable and the Mariche Metrocable, among others, in the city of Caracas.
An interesting document, for reflection and consideration of our constant power outages and the unreliable internet and water service. Especially in these troubled times, when communication is changing so abruptly through social media, and considering the role that artificial intelligence is playing and will play, or a natural disaster that isolates us, leaving us in a void, in despair.