Alonso de Maldonado

Alonso de Maldonado Diez de Ledesma (1480 Salamanca, Spain- ), was a Spanish lawyer and a member of the Second Audiencia of Mexico City, which governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. He was also president of the First Audiencia of Guatemala, and in that capacity interim governor of Guatemala from 1536 to September 15, 1539. He was governor of Guatemala a second time, from 1542 to 1548.

Alonso de Maldonado Diez de Ledesma was the son of Francisco Arias Maldonado and Guiomar Diez de Ledesma. Alonso married as his first wife, Juana de Ortega. Four children were born from this marriage, Luisa, Guiomar, Marina and Juana. His second marriage was to Elena de Torres y Medinilla who was the daughter of Luis de Torres and Barbola de Medinilla. There were two children born of this marriage, Alonso Maldonado de Torres and Diego Maldonado de Torres.

After the criminal disaster of the First Audiencia of Mexico City, Emperor Charles V carefully chose five upstanding men to replace them, as the Second Audiencia. The Second Audiencia was named in a royal decree dated January 12, 1530. It was made up of Bishop Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal as president, and Juan de Salmerón, Francisco Ceinos, Maldonado and Vasco de Quiroga as oidores (judges). All of these men were honest, honorable and capable. All were licentiates.

The second Audiencia improved the road from Veracruz to Mexico City, and along the way founded the city of Puebla de los Angeles as a resting-place for travelers (April 16, 1531). It imported horses and cattle from Spain, took steps to import a printing press, founded the Imperial College of Santiago Tlatelolco for higher learning for young Indigenous men, renewed exploration, and continued work on the cathedral of Mexico City. Enslavement of Indians was prohibited in 1532. The Second Audiencia brought suit against the oidores of the First Audiencia Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo and Diego Delgadillo. Beltrán de Guzmán was absent from the capital, but the other two corrupt officials were sent back to Spain as prisoners.

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