Luis de la Torre was one of the Spanish conquistadors who governed New Spain while Hernán Cortés was absent from the capital.

Luis de la Torre
Governor of New Spain
In office
2 March 1527 – 8 December 1528
Serving with Alonso de Estrada (– 8 December 1528) and Gonzalo de Salazar (– 22 August 1527)
Preceded byMarcos de Aguilar
Succeeded byNuño Beltrán de Guzmán of the first Royal Audiencia of Mexico
Personal details
OccupationBureaucrat

History

edit

There was much infighting during this period (1524-28). Nine men were involved in the government, not including Cortés himself, who made a very brief return in 1526. They usually formed a governing council of three, never more than five, and occasionally only one or two. This interval began with Cortés's expedition to Honduras and ended with the arrival of the first Audiencia Real.

Not much is known about la Torre. He was in the government of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from March 2, 1527, to December 8, 1528, or about 1 year and 9 months.[1]

Alonso de Estrada was also in the government for this period, and for the early part (until August 22, 1527), so was Gonzalo de Sandoval. La Torre and Estrada were cousins.[2]

On the latter date, a royal decree was received in Mexico City, ratifying the transfer of powers granted by Luis Ponce de León to Marcos de Aguilar, but Aguilar had died on March 1. Before he died, Aguilar had named Estrada governor, and this decree from Spain solidified Estrada's position. Since Cortés was suspected of poisoning both Luis Ponce de León and Aguilar, he was not in a position to challenge Alonso de Estrada and Luis de la Torre.

A person named Luis de la Torre accompanied Christopher Columbus to the New World on one of his voyages, and is credited with being the co-discoverer (among Europeans) of tobacco.[3] However, that may have been the uncle of this man.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Purón, Manuel Garcia (1970). México y sus gobernantes: biografias (in Spanish). Libreria Porrua. p. 52. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  2. ^ Carranza, Baltasar Dorantes de; Sánchez, José María de Agreda y (1902). Sumaria relación de las cosas de la Nueva España: con noticia individual de los descendientes legítimos de los conquistadores y primeros pobladores españoles (in Spanish). Impr. del Museo Nacional. p. 304. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  3. ^ Crandall, Russell (27 October 2020). Drugs and Thugs: The History and Future of America's War on Drugs. Yale University Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-300-24034-4. Retrieved 29 August 2024.