This year, in compliance with the sanitary norms to fight the coronavirus, the palm trees of Chacao will not go up to the Waraira Repano National Park to cut the blessed palm that is traditionally delivered in the churches of Caracas, on Palm Sunday, before the arrival of the Holy Week.
This was reported by Richard Delgado, secretary of organization of the brotherhood, who stated that it will be the first time in more than 400 years that they have not complied with the tradition of the Palmeros de Chacao, declared last year by Unesco as cultural and intangible heritage of The humanity.
He indicated that by order of the national government, the national parks are closed due to the emergency of the covid-19, but that they will carry out alternative activities. "Given the impossibility of climbing the mountain to cut the blessed palm, and in respect of sanitary measures, this year we are going to cut another species of palm that we have grown in nurseries located in the Humboldt park in Chacao, and which also grows on the banks of a creek near this recreational space, "he said.
He pointed out that a group of palm trees will move next Friday to the park, respecting the sanitary measures, to cut the palms, which they will later distribute in the houses of the members of the brotherhood, who will develop some 5.000 crosses that they hope to deliver home to home next Palm Sunday.
"The sanitary norms against the covid-19 also forced the suspension of the masses to avoid the crowding of people, so for Unesco last year he declared palm trees as cultural heritage to maintain our tradition and attending to the need of the people at this time so difficult, the palm trees of Chacao we adapt to the circumstances, but always with the same faith and the satisfaction of maintaining the tradition that has more than 400 years, "he said.
He recalled that in the year 1770, the parish priest José Antonio Mohedano, before the appearance of the plague of yellow fever, which was accompanied by a black vomit and whose disease plagued the Caracas valley, asked God for mercy with a promise to “seek the blessed palms on the mountain, evoking the biblical passage of the entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem, after fulfilling the promise the disease disappeared and this year we will ask God again for the coronavirus to disappear from Venezuela and the whole world ”.
