Ranches were first established in the late eighteenth century in what is now the territory of Jesús Enrique Lossada. Shell struck oil at La Paz in 1922 and La Concepción in 1924, and operated the oilfields there until the 1960s. Jesús Enrique Lossada was part of the former Maracaibo District until 21 June 1989, when it and Maracaibo were separated, each becoming independent municipalities.
