Guicaipuro

Guicaipuro.
At the beginning of 1560 a group of Venezuelan indigenous from the Teques and Caracas tribes were alarmed by the arrival of unfamiliar people in the peaceful lands thathad been their territory for centuries. The newcomers had opened their way through the vicinity of the Caracas valley establishing a basic camp marked with flags and extravagant standardsnearby the indigenous sites. Their shielded chests, physical appearance and manners attracted the indigenous curiosity but they had already heard about their unfriendly intentions.These foreigners were desperately searching for gold and destroying anything or anyone in their way but the Indian chief Guicaipuro was prepared to end such aggression.
Little is knownin the written history about this Venezuelan Indian leader but in the years after his death he became a legend and a symbol on indigenous resistance against the Spaniard domination.For the Spanish conquistadors he was a vicious killer capable of murdering without mercy and a constant threat to their colonialist project, on the other hand, for the natives he was abrave and battle-hardened chief that would protect his tribe from anything.
It is said that Guicaipuro was a young warrior probably in his late twenties when he first attacked anddefeated Pedro de Miranda’s people. He was born in Suruapo or Suruapay a town located in the current San José de Los Altos in Miranda state. He became leader of the Caracas and Teques peoplebut after his succeed fighting against the Spanish colonials other tribes recognized him as their chief. His crusade against the Spaniards lasted approximately ten years but ended in anambush led by Francisco Infante who finally after setting Guicaipuro’s house in fire killed him but just physically because Guicaipuro had remained alive in the Venezuelan history.