The History of Cali

History

By Richard McColl

Santiago de Cali was founded on the 25^th of July of 1536 by the Spanish Conquistador Sebastian de Bealcázar – who also founded Ecuador’s capital city of Quito – in a fertile location in the valley of the River Lili. The original site of the city can now be determined as being in the southern end of the current metropolis. The city was moved roughly 17 km away due to the interference from the native Jamundi people. 

During this period Cali played second fiddle to Popayan and long into the 18^th Century the city was more or less dominated by the existence of large fincas. In 1810 Cali declared its independence from Popayan, leading to several battles between royalists and the local militia.

Due to its location, easily within reach of the industries of Antioquia, the ports of the pacific and the eastern edge of the Andes, Cali is very much a city near to the front line of the current Colombian conflict. Through the 1980s the infamous Cali cartel was the major rival of their better-publicised Medellin brethren (of Pablo Escobar fame) to the north.

Cali suffers on account of guerrilla activity in neighboring areas. As recently as April of 2007 a Cali police station was destroyed by a bomb attributed to the FARC.