Antonio Ignacio de la Pedrosa y Guerrero facts for kids

Antonio de la Pedrosa y Guerrero was an important Spanish official born around 1660. He worked as a lawyer in Spain and in Santa Fe de Bogotá (which is now in Colombia). He was also a member of the Council of the Indies, a powerful group that advised the King of Spain on matters related to the colonies. From June 1718 to November 1719, he served as the very first leader, or provisional viceroy, of a new Spanish territory called New Granada.

Early Life and Career

Pedrosa y Guerrero held several important jobs in Spain. In 1684, he became a lawyer and a "protector of the Indians" in Bogotá. This meant he helped protect the rights of Indigenous people in the Spanish colonies. Later, he was chosen to join the Council of the Indies in Spain. This council helped the King manage all the Spanish colonies around the world.

Creating a New Viceroyalty

While he was still part of the Council, King Philip V gave him a big new job. In 1717, the King created a brand new territory called the Viceroyalty of New Granada. Before this, New Granada was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which was managed from Lima.

The new Viceroyalty of New Granada was very large. It included areas that are now the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador. It had many important cities and regions like Santafé, Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Caracas.

Taking Charge

Pedrosa arrived in Bogotá on June 7, 1717. He officially took over the government on June 13. His main task was to set up the new government and its rules for the colony. He also had to make important changes to make Spanish rule stronger and better.

One of his biggest challenges was dealing with corruption. There was a lot of dishonest behavior among high-ranking officials. Also, a lot of goods were being smuggled, which meant the government wasn't collecting taxes on them. Pedrosa was given the power of a viceroy to fix these problems, even though he didn't have the official title yet. He was called the governor, captain general, and president of the Audiencia of Bogotá.

Fighting Corruption

Pedrosa quickly found out about a big problem. The governor, Gerónimo de Badillo, and other officials were involved in a dishonest plan. They were making incoming goods seem less valuable to avoid paying full taxes. They also took secret payments, known as "kickbacks," from merchants. They even undervalued stolen goods that were captured.

This dishonest behavior was easy for Pedrosa to uncover. He acted fast, firing some treasury officials and fining others involved. However, the corruption was very deep-rooted. Many of his decisions were later overturned, and some officials he punished even got their jobs back or were promoted. This showed how difficult it was to fight such widespread corruption.

Other Achievements

Besides trying to stop fraud, Pedrosa also worked on other important things. He helped increase the money the colony collected. He appointed special managers in different regions. He also ordered that empty encomiendas (grants of land and labor to Spanish settlers) be taken back by the government. He also worked on improving the defenses of Cartagena, an important port city.

End of His Term

Pedrosa served until late 1719. Then, the first official viceroy, Jorge de Villalonga, took over. Pedrosa returned to Spain in 1720. Sadly, Villalonga did not continue the fight against smuggling and corruption. Instead, he joined the dishonest officials and profited from it.

The first Viceroyalty of New Granada only lasted a short time, until 1723. After that, the territory was again managed from Lima. However, it was separated permanently in 1740, becoming its own important viceroyalty once more.

See also

In Spanish: Antonio Ignacio de la Pedrosa y Guerrero para niños