Spanish Conquest

In 1498, during his third voyage to the Americas, Christopher Columbus sailed near the Orinoco Delta and then landed in the Gulf of Paria. Amazed, Columbus expressed in his moving letter to Isabella and Ferdinand that he had reached the heaven on Earth (the paradise), and confused by the unusual saltiness of the water, he wrote:

Great signs are these of the Terrestrial Paradise, for the site conforms to the opinion of the holy and wise theologians whom I have mentioned. And likewise, the [other] signs conform very well, for I have never read or heard of such a large quantity of fresh water being inside and in such close proximity to salt water; the very mild temperateness also corroborates this; and if the water of which I speak does not proceed from Paradise then it is an even greater marvel, because I do not believe such a large and deep river has ever been known to exist in this world.

His certainty of having attained Paradise made him name this region “Land of Grace,” a phrase which has become the country’s nickname.

Spain’s colonization of mainland Venezuela started in 1522, establishing its first permanent South American settlement in the present-day city of Cumaná.

The 16th century also saw fitful attempts at German colonization. Native caciques (leaders) such as Guaicaipuro (c. 1530–1568) and Tamanaco (died 1573) attempted to resist Spanish incursions but the newcomers ultimately subdued them; Tamanaco was put to death by order of Caracas’ founder Diego de Losada.

In the 16th century, during the Spanish colonization, indigenous peoples such as many of the Mariche — themselves descendants of the Caribs — converted to Roman Catholicism. Some of the resisting tribes or leaders are commemorated in place names, including Caracas, Chacao, and Los Teques.

The early colonial settlements focussed on the northern coast but in the mid-18th century the Spanish pushed further inland along the Orinoco River. Here the Ye’kuana (then known as the Makiritare) organized serious resistance in 1775 and 1776.

Spain’s eastern Venezuelan settlements were incorporated into New Andalusia Province. Administered by the Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo from the early 16th century, most of Venezuela became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in the early 18th century and was then reorganized as an autonomous Captaincy General starting in 1776.

The town of Caracas, founded in the central coastal region in 1567, was well-placed to become a key location — being near the coastal port of La Guaira whilst itself being located in a valley in a mountain range — providing defensive strength against pirates and a more fertile and healthy climate.