It is widely known that the first attempts to form the town of Upata came towards 1739. Nevertheless, it was July 7, 1972 when Fray Antonio de Cervera founded the city with the name of "Village Yocoima of Saint Anthony of Padua" (Villa del yocoima, de San Antonio de Padua)(Spanish), in honor to the Italian saint from Padua: Saint Anthony of Padua, when the Capucin missionaries brought the Catholic faith to the region.
Human Geography
Upata is one of Venezuela's cities which has a large population of Europeans, many of them from Italy, France, Portugal and Spain. By the years 1945 and 1970 about 1,750 Italians, 650 Portuguese, and many other from Spain. Upata's population comprises 48% Whites, 40% Mestizo, 7% Blacks and 5% of Amerindian descent. In recent times have joined small groups of Asian immigrants, (China, Philippines), dedicated to commercial affairs. Some others from Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
