Bucaramanga History

The Conquest, on Parque García Rovira

History

By Lorraine Caputo

Real Minas de Bucaramanga, or Royal Mines of Bucaramanga, was founded June 3, 1539, by Martín Galeano, some 83 years before the village of the same name was founded by Capitán Andrés Páez de Sotomayor and Father Miguel Trujillo. Ultimately these mines along the Río de Oro ceased. Spanish descendents and mestizos replaced the largely indigenous population and the residents turned to agriculture. However, they continued to reap the benefits as a provider of gold to the Spanish Crown. The fraud was eventually unveiled. In 1857 Bucaramanga became the capital of Santander Department; four years later it lost this position to Socorro, but regained it in 1896. The 1000-Day War at the end of the 19th century caused economic duress for Bucaramanga, from which it did not recuperate until a century later. The decisive battle of this civil war was fought at Palonegro near the city.