Maturín is also a busy regional transportation hub, connecting routes from the northeastern coast to the Orinoco Delta and the Gran Sabana.

December 7, 1760, is the official date of the founding of Maturín (according to the Venezuelan Academy of History) by the Franciscan missionary Lucas de Zaragoza.

He was murdered by a supposed Spanish captain named Arrioja during a battle between tribal members and Spaniards on the site of the town in 1718.

They base their theory on the legend of a supposed French missionary who explored the area at the end of the 17th century.

In this battle the Venezuelan patriots, led by Manuel Piar, obtained a great victory against the Spanish general Juan Domingo de Monteverde.

After the battle of Urica (where Boves died) Tomás José Morales, a Spanish general, decided to take the town.

Maturín grew slowly during the 19th century due to civil wars (which destroyed the region's flourishing farming and livestock-raising industries and killed many people) and fatal diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever, transmitted by mosquitoes.

In the 20th century Maturín grew rapidly due to the discovery of petroleum fields near the town and a health campaign carried out by doctors to eliminate mosquitoes.

The legislative branch is represented by the municipal council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws.

Maturín is one of the most important cities in the east of the country as its strategic position serves as a bridge to the other states of the region.