Initial Contact and Colonization

The initial exploration and colonization of Venezuela was done by Spain during 1500-1550s.(3)  This exploration was inspired by the legendary city of gold, El Dorado.  Which led to alarge exploration throughout the colony;some were funded by Germany.(2)  However due to its fairly rugged rugged landscape and lack of resources it was used as a staging area for most transports and some of the native people were used as forced slave labor.(2)  Although this always was not the case during several of the earlier expedition the Spanish were often thwarted by native’s retaliation of the Spaniards.(3)