Juan de Salmerón

Juan de Salmerón was a Spanish colonial official New Spain, and an oidor (judge) of the Second Audiencia, which governed the colony from January 10, 1531 until April 16, 1534. On the latter date, the government was turned over to Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy. Along with Fray Toribio de Benavente Motolinia he built the first European settlement at Puebla, Puebla.

Before arriving in the New World, Salmerón earned a doctor of law degree and was counselor to Emperor Charles V. Later he was alcalde of Castilla de Oro, in Central America.^[1]

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 Salmerón, Francisco Ceinos, Alonso de Maldonado and Vasco de Quiroga as oidores. All of these men were honest, honorable and capable. All were licentiates.

Bishop Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal was in Santo Domingo at the time, but the other members of the Audiencia were in Spain. They sailed from Seville on September 16, 1530 and arrived in the port of Veracruz in the early part of 1531.^[2]

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.^[3]

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