Fernando de la Cueva y Escobedo
Fernando de la Cueva y Escobedo (Talavera de la Reina de Toledo, Crown of Spain, 1569 – Cartago of Costa Rica, Spanish Empire, on March and May 1599) was a nobleman and Spanish official that for twelve years the Crown, after signing the capitulation of conquest, appointed him as titular governor of Costa Rica in 1593, although he only held the position from 1595 until his death.
Biography
Fernando de la Cueva y Escobedo was born in 1569 in the city of Talavera de la Reina del Toledo. He was the son of Juan de la Cueva and Inés de Escobedo. His father was mayor of mines in Honduras, mayor of Soconusco and mayor of Santiago de Guatemala.
He was lieutenant governor of Soconusco, when his father was governor of that province. He married Catalina Gutiérrez de Sotomayor, daughter of Juan Gutiérrez, a resident of that city, in Santiago de Guatemala.
On December 16, 1593, he was appointed by King Philip II as Governor of Costa Rica for twelve years, and signed a capitulation in which he undertook to carry out a series of actions such as the founding of cities, introduction of cattle, among other procedures.
He took office on March 30, 1595 and from the beginning of his administration he showed signs of his venal temperament, since he admitted from his predecessor Gonzalo de Palma the gift of a black slave to favor him in his residence trial. In addition, not only did he not comply with anything that he capitulated with the Crown, but he soon became known for his abuse of power, his lack of probity and his violent treatment with the indigenous people.
As a result of the many complaints and claims of the residents of Costa Rica, the Royal Court of Guatemala opened a process against him on charges of robbery, fraud, bribery, mistreatment of indigenous people, kidnapping of women and violation of correspondence, and he had to march to that city to defend himself, but the trial does not seem to have given any results, since he was reinstated in his position.
Finally, Fernando de la Cueva y Escobedo died between the months of March and May of 1599 in the Costa Rican city of Cartago.
Historians' opinion
Leaving sad memories among the inhabitants of the province, historians added the nicknames "el Gobernador Calavera" and "el Gobernador Bellaco".