Baltasar de Zúñiga y Guzmán, duque de Arión y marqués de Valero (1658, Spain—December 26, 1727, Madrid) was Spanish viceroy of New Spain from August 16, 1716 to October 14, 1722 and later president of the Council of the Indies.
Zúñiga y Guzmán was born in Spain in 1658, a descendant of Juan Manuel de Manrique y Zúñiga, and thus of royal blood. He made his formal entrance into Mexico City on August 16, 1716 and received his office from the previou...
more
Baltasar de Zúñiga y Guzmán, duque de Arión y marqués de Valero (1658, Spain—December 26, 1727, Madrid) was Spanish viceroy of New Spain from August 16, 1716 to October 14, 1722 and later president of the Council of the Indies.
Zúñiga y Guzmán was born in Spain in 1658, a descendant of Juan Manuel de Manrique y Zúñiga, and thus of royal blood. He made his formal entrance into Mexico City on August 16, 1716 and received his office from the previous viceroy, Fernando de Alencastre, 1st Duke of Linares. Zúñiga was the first bachelor to be viceroy of New Spain.
He was soon informed of famine in Texas, which was causing colonists to abandon their villages. He immediately ordered the governor of Coahuila to send aid to the region. He also ordered that the Indians be taught agriculture and animal husbandry.
In 1717 Florida Indian chiefs meeting in Pensacola asked to come to Mexico City. Viceroy Zúñiga sent a ship from the Armada de Barlovento (coast guard) to pick them up and transport them...
less
