BARQUISIMETO, DIOCESE of. - In the republic of Venezuela, State of Lara, suffragan of Santiago del Venezuela, with residence at B. Erected on 4 May 1847, it was inaugurated only in 1867, with residence at Coro and under the name of Coro. In 1870 the see was transferred to B., under its former designation, which it subsequently retained, notwithstanding a decree of the S. Congregazione concistoriale of 12 Feb.
1907, which changed its name to that of Carabobo. Until 1922 it included, in addition to the State of Lara, those of Carabobo and Falcón; but in that year, with the creation of the dioceses of Coro and Valencia, respectively in the States of Falcón and Carabobo, the diocese was deprived of these latter two States.
It is divided into 60 parishes, with 26 diocesan and 18 regular priests. It has a population of 500,000 inhabitants, almost all Catholics, over an area of 40,000 sq. km.