Blasco Núñez Vela
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Don Blasco Núñez Vela Señor de Tabadillo Caballero de Santiago |
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| 1st Viceroy of Peru | |
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In office May 15, 1544 – January 18, 1546 |
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| Monarch | Charles V |
| Preceded by | Newly Established |
| Succeeded by | Pedro de la Gasca |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c.1490 Ávila, Crown of Castille |
| Died | January 18, 1546 (aged 55–56) Añaquito, near present day Quito, Viceroyalty of Peru |
| Religion | Catholic |
Blasco Núñez Vela y Villalba (c. 1490 – January 18, 1546) was the first Spanish viceroy of Peru. Serving from May 15, 1544 to January 18, 1546, he was charged by King Charles I with the enforcement of the controversial New Laws, which dealt with the failure of the encomienda system to protect the indigenous people of America from the rapacity of the conquistadors and their descendants.
Núñez Vela was a native of Ávila, born into an ancient and noble family. The Núñez Vela family, lords of Tabadillo, lived in this area from at least 1403. He was a descendant of Don Pedro Nuñez de la Fuente Almexir (Fuentearmegil) the loyal, who saved the life of the King of Castile, Alfonso VIII in 1163. He was a knight of the Order of Santiago and corregidor of Málaga and Cuenca, Spain, and devoted to the service of the king. One of his brothers was lord of the bedchamber to the king, and another was archbishop of Burgos. Although honest, loyal and courageous, Núñez was also very hot headed.
In March 1542 he was named viceroy, governor and captain general of Peru and president of the Audiencia, and also captain general of Chile, with a salary of 5,000 ducats.
He sailed from Sanlucar on November 3, 1542 in command of a fleet, with much pomp. He was accompanied by the members of the Audiencia and other illustrious personalities. His last instructions from the king were to "show himself to be a severe punisher of infractions." Núñez's adherence to these instructions was to prove very costly. He arrived in Lima on May 17, 1544.
The New Laws promulgated by Charles, under the influence of reformers such as Bartolomé de las Casas, had been established to improve the lot of the indigenous peoples of the Americas within the Spanish dominions. They were intended to clarify, expand and enforce provisions of the Laws of Burgos of 1512. The latter had provided many safeguards for the indigenous population, but these had not been strictly enforced. The New Laws became effective November 20, 1542.
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