Founding of Caracas

Timeline

1. 1565–1567El Tocuyo · LaraAfter the settlements of Fajardo and others were destroyed, the governor commissioned Losada to lead troops into the Caracas region. Pedro Ponce de León confirmed the mission after taking office. In January 1567 Losada marched east from the inland city of El Tocuyo, fighting along the way the combined forces of chiefs including Guacaipuro, with the aim of establishing a defensible Spanish town in the valley.
2. 1567Santiago de León de Caracas · CaracasAfter occupying the valley, Losada on the feast of Saint James proclaimed the founding of Santiago de León de Caracas, named after Spain's patron saint and the governor's surname, dividing streets and defenses according to the laws of the Indies for towns. On September 8 he also refounded Caraballeda on the ruins of old Coro on the coast, giving the new inland town access to the sea.
3. 1568Caracas valley · CaracasIn early 1568, chiefs including Guacaipuro formed a coalition to destroy the not-yet-established Spanish town. After Losada's forces defeated the coalition at Maracapana and elsewhere, he sent the municipal officer Francisco de Infante to hunt down Guacaipuro, who was soon killed in battle. With the coordinated resistance collapsed, Caracas turned from an outpost into a taxable colonial town.