Alonso de Ojeda
Alonso de Ojeda | |
|---|---|
Oil Portrait of Alonso de Ojeda, located at the Colombian Academy of History, Bogotá. | |
| Born | c. 1466 |
| Died | c. 1515 |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Explorer |
| Known for | Naming Venezuela, first European to visit Lake Maracaibo, founder of Santa Cruz, Venezuela (La Guairita) |
Alonso de Ojeda (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈlonso ðe oˈxeða]; c. 1466 – c. 1515) was a Spanish explorer, governor and conquistador. He is famous for having named Venezuela, which he explored during his first two expeditions, for having been the first European to visit Guyana, Curaçao, Colombia and Lake Maracaibo, and later for founding Santa Cruz (La Guairita). He also travelled to Trinidad, Tobago and Aruba, in some of his travels he journeyed with Amerigo Vespucci and Juan de la Cosa.