It was at first simply a renaming of the
New Andalusia Governorate and included all of the land between 470 and 670
leagues south of the mouth of the
Río Santiago along the Pacific coast. After 1617,
Paraguay was separated under a separate administration (
Asunción had been the capital of the governorate since
Juan de Ayolas.)
Governor
Domingo Martínez de Irala (1539–1541). Elected by the colonists, disputed the authority of Galán.
Adelantado Governor
Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (1541–1544). Victorious campaign against
Guarani in 1542. Arrested and returned to Spain for trial.
Governors of the Río de la Plata
Governor
Domingo Martínez de Irala (1544–1556). Encouraged his men to marry and keep concubines from local women. Two adelantados are unable to arrive from Spain and de Irala confirmed in his post by the king 1552. Died peacefully.
Governor
Francisco Ortiz de Vergara (1558–1569). Elected by the colonists. Foundations fail at San Francisco, Sancti Spiritus, and
Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Arrested and returned to Spain for trial.
Lt. Governor
Alonso de Vera y Aragón (1583–1587). And de facto governor at Asunción until 1592.
Adelantado Governor
Juan Torres de Vera y Aragón (1587–1592).
Judge of the Royal Audience, married to Juana Ortiz de Zárate. Last appointed adelantado.
Governor
Alonso Mercado y Villacorta (1660–1663). Request to be able to send two trade ships annually denied.
Dutch ships permitted to dock in Buenos Aires.
Governor
Miguel de Salcedo y Sierraalta (1734–1742). Expulsion of foreigners from Buenos Aires ordered. Failed attempt to retake Colonia del Sacramento.
^For two, somewhat different interpretations of the boundaries in unsettled areas, see Burkholder, Mark A. and Lyman L. Johnson. Colonial Latin America (10 editions). (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), Map 2, 73
ISBN0-19-506110-1; and Lombardi, Cathryn L., John V. Lombardi and K. Lynn Stoner. Latin American History: A Teaching Atlas. (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1983), 29.
ISBN0-299-09714-5