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SEBASTIAN DE BELALCAZAR
Sebastian
De Belalcazar was a famous Spanish conquistador born in
1479. Although
born Sebastian Moyano, he took his new last name, as it was
the name of the castle town closest to his birthplace.
According to a number of reliable sources, Belalcazar
left for the New World with Christopher Columbia as early as
1498. However,
another legend says that Belalcazar had killed a mule in
1507 and to flee from feared punishment, he left for the
West Indies, which also offered him a life away from the
poverty in which he was born.
We
do know that Belalcazar entered Nicaragua with Hernandez de
Cordoba in 1524, becoming the first mayor of the city of
Leon where he would remain until 1527 when he left for
Honduras because of disputes with the Spanish governors.
Although he returned to Leon just briefly, he would
sail to the coast of Peru where he connected with the
expedition of Francisco Pizarro in 1532.
Then
two years later, he helped Pizarro fight against native
tribes after which time he set off to conquer Quito valley
in Ecuador. However,
to do this, he had to use money received in compensation
from previous campaigns.
From there, the city of Quito was founded by
Belalcazar along with Diego de Almagro.
In honor or Pizarro, the city’s name was changed to
San Francisco de Quito.
Then
in 1535, Belalcazar moved north into what we know today as
Colombia, searching for El Dorado.
As he entered the Cauca River Valley, he founded a
number of Colombian cities to include Pasto, Santiago de
Cali, and Popayan, the next most important city after Quito.
He then crossed to the Magdalena River Valley, going
into the highlands of central Colombia along with Gonzalo
Jimenez de Quesada and Nicolas Federmann in 1539.
At
that time, Belalcazar was granted governorship of Popayan by
Carlos the Fifth, although an honorary title.
Soon, squabbles broke out among the conquistadors,
which included Belalcazar and a neighboring province that
was governed by Pascual de Andagoya.
Defending his own lands, Belalcazar soon took some of
the land belonging to Andagoya.
In addition, he helped calm disagreements between
Almagro in Peru and supporters of the families of
Pizarro.
In
1546, Belalcazar ordered that Jorge Robledo, the governor of
another neighboring province to be executed.
However, Belalcazar himself was put on trial in 1550
for the death of Robledo along with other crimes associated
with his personal involvement in wars with the
conquistadors.
Belalcazar was found guilty and ordered to death.
Unfortunately, while under appeal to the Council of
the Indies the following year, Sebastian de Belalcazar died
in his prison cell in Cartagena of fever.
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