After its discovery by Alonso de Ojeda, Aruba became a formal part of the Spanish Empire. While the island did not receive much attention from the Spanish crown, Aruba played an interesting and strategic role in the region. With Coro (modern-day Venezuela) established as a major city and capital of the New World, Aruba saw some activity due to its proximity. However, to fully understand Aruba’s significance during this time, we need to take a broader view of the historical context.

After the discovery in 1499, Aruba automatically became part of the Spanish Empire and was included in the region known as Nueva Andalucía. The island remained under Spanish control for well over a century. During this period, the Spanish crown was focused on extracting wealth from the Americas — gold, silver, and other resources — and Aruba, without significant mineral wealth, was largely overlooked.

The rulers of Aruba under Spain (1522–1598)

From Queen Isabella to King Philip II, Aruba passed through the hands of multiple Spanish monarchs. The island held a special status — it was an encomienda, granted to Juan de Ampiés, which meant it never became formally part of the Venezuelan province. This gave the island and its Caquetío inhabitants a degree of separation from the harshest colonial policies applied elsewhere.

The Spanish presence on Aruba during this period was minimal. There were no major settlements, no fortifications, and no significant Spanish population. The island was managed from a distance — primarily from Curaçao, Santo Domingo, and Coro. The Caquetío people continued to live on the island, farming, raising livestock, and practicing the Catholicism that had been introduced after 1519.

Aruba’s strategic position

Despite being overlooked by Spain, Aruba’s position off the coast of Venezuela made it strategically relevant. The island sat along the trade routes used by Spanish galleons to transport wealth back to Europe. As the 1500s progressed and European rivalries intensified — particularly with the Dutch and English — Aruba’s proximity to the Venezuelan mainland became increasingly important.

The period from 1522 to 1598 was, for Aruba, a time of relative quiet under Spanish rule. The real changes would come at the turn of the 17th century, when Dutch merchants and the emerging Dutch Republic began to challenge Spanish dominance in the Caribbean.

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Continue reading Aruba’s history:
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