The original diocese of Calabozo, embracing the section of Guárico and portions of the sections of Apure, Zamora, Portuguesa, Cojedes and Guzman Blanco, was created 7 March 1863 by Pius IX[1] as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Caracas (Santiago de Venezuela), and its first bishop was consecrated 30 October 1881. John Paul II elevated the diocese to an archdiocese on 17 June 1995.[2][3] As a metropolitan archdiocese, it has 2 suffragans: