Uruguay: European Settlements Date from 1527

The first European settlements in the Southern Cone date from 1527 along the San Salvador River in Uruguay, according to archaeological investigations. The first city established by Spain on the South American mainland was Cumana in Venezuela and Santa Marta in Colombia, both on the Caribbean coast. This was followed by the conquest of what is today Rio de la Plata in Uruguay. Court records and other documentation from the period allowing for further research into the colonial conquest. teleSUR