The History of Chocó

History

By Richard McColl

Given Chocó’s geography, it is no wonder that the department feels like its been left behind. The department originally was inhabited only by indigenous tribes, and in the era of Spanish imperialism the colonizers for the most part left the area alone.

In the 16th century a Spaniard by the name of Alonso de Ojeda who had accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second journey to the Western Hemisphere created new settlements in the Gulf of Uraba on the Caribbean side of the Chocó. The settlements did not last long, however, as they continually ran low on food and suffered constant under attacks from hostile tribes.

Currently the department suffers from mining and logging and has become a major region for pitched battles between the government and the guerrillas in the interior and along the coast.