Alonso de Cáceres

Alonso de Cáceres y Retes (Alcántara, Cáceres, late fifteenth century - ?) was a ruthless Spanish conquistador and governor-captain of Santa Marta, who despite his prolonged military nomadism throughout the American geography (from Mexico to Peru, including Central America), and his important conquering and peacekeeping ideas, can be considered one of the most active soldiers who served in the sixteenth-century Spanish process of conquest.

He was born in the village of Alcántara (Cáceres), in the late fifteenth century. He was the son of Gregorio and Maria Cáceres Retes, had military training and took part in military interventions in other parts of the old continent, but his first performances in the American conquest was exercised after 1530, as a captain under the command of Governor Pedro de Heredia, in southern Panama and northern Colombia, participating in the foundation of the Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias and subsequent interventions as explorer and conqueror were performed on the Isthmus of Panama and on the border Colombia.

During the conquering expedition of Pedro de Heredia from Cartagena to the interior of the Cenú territories, it was agreed that Alonso de Cáceres would be sent in search of food once there was a shortage of food in Cartagena. As the soldiers of Alonso de Cáceres, not finding anything to eat, they filled themselves with the fruits of "guaguma" and constipated. This type of food search was frequently repeated as the area of Cartagena de Indias was scarce in plantation areas and many soldiers died of hunger.

On 21 October 1534, Pedro de Heredia forces under Captain Alonso de Cáceres command, seized Acla and took prisoners for Julián Gutiérre and his wife, the native Isabel, who knew Spanish and whom Heredia needed to reach agreement with the Urabá people.

In 1536, Alonso de Cáceres left the Colombian-Panamanian region and moved to Central America under the command of Governor Francisco de Montejo who was responsible for the conquest of Yucatan. In this exploratory mission, Alonso de Cáceres had been sent to the Honduran city of Gracias a Dios, which would serve as headquarters for his explorations. Some people of that settlement welcomed him with suspicion, but the captain was not discouraged and continued his mission. On 8 December 1537 he founded the city of Comayagua, which became the first capital of the territory of what is now Honduras.

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