Cumaná, maritime, filled with sweet and salty shores, the first settlement on the continent, and in possession of great historical men, is the capital of Sucre State. It is the birthplace of emancipators, poets, and singers. Mother of Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre, the universal soldier, faithful commander of the Army of the South, redeemer of the Son's of the Sun, hero of Pichincha and Ayacucho: battles that sealed the Independence of Ecuador, Peru and all of South America. He is the prince of South America.
It was between 1498 and 1499 when the Spanish conqueror had for the first time contact with this territory of the brave Indians, where the majestic river Cumaná was flowing along, majestic with its crystalline waters, and it was the source of life for the Cumanagotos. By then, the invaders realized the immense richness that the neighboring island, Cubagua, la Nueva Cadiz, possessed in the form of pearls. This allowed, of course, the savage exploitation of such a great treasure. Cubagua became, from the first moment, in a center for immigration, acting as a magnet on different types of people, such as: pearl merchants, pirates of different nationalities, who submitted the indigenous people, like slaves in their own land. The island had a quick growth, but had no fresh water that would maintain its growth. The place from which such precious commodity as fresh water, wood, food and other such things could be obtained was Nueva Toledo. They, the conquerors, took the land of the Cumanagotos as a center of supplies, to such degree that they constructed a military fort at the mouth of the river back on the main land, so they could defend these exports to the island from pirates, corsaires, and even from their legitimate owners: the Indians.
The indomitable natives found themselves in war, and this made the job of the pearl looters much more difficult, therefore Fray Pedro de Cordova was sent to these regions so the natives could be subdued in a more pacific way. The arrival of the first Franciscans to Cumaná happened on the 27-th of November, 1515. Very near to this date, the first rebellion of the natives took place under the command of Cacique Maragüey, who was already too desperate due to the constant abuses of the Spaniards, so he decides to resort to violence, and destroys the first invading mission of the Franciscans.
The extraction of pearls went on for only a short time, but the island witnessed inhuman practices with the native population, who many times died at the bottom of the sea while searching for pearls that never remained in our land, and neither in our possession. With the passing of time, Nueva Cadiz decays loosing its hegemony due to the extinction of the so much searched for pearls. The destruction of Sodoma and Gomorra is repeated on the island, on one side, due to natural disasters which come about and destroy the island around the end of 1541. On the other hand, whatever is left of it, is further destroyed, and burnt by the pirates and the corsairs in 1543. At the same time Nueva Toledo is also decaying, and the Conquistadors and the treasure seekers move on in search of better lands.
It is important to note that the actual Cumaná had many names. Relying on original documents and files which exist today, the first name the conquerors gave to Cumaná was, Nueva Toledo, in 1520, and this was done by Gonzalo de Ocampo. Then came Nueva Córdova, in 1523 by Captain Jácome de Castellón. Its third name dates from 1568, and it was Nueva Andalucia, by Diego Fernandez de Serpa. And finally and forever the name Cumaná. It is a beautiful name, full of history which gives us our privilege to be called Cumaneses.