Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar

Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar (1465 – c. June 12, 1524) was a Spanish conquistador and adelantado who was first governor of Cuba. In 1511 he led the successful conquest and colonization of Cuba. As the first governor of the island, he established several municipalities that remain important to this day and positioned Cuba as a center of trade and a staging point for expeditions of conquest elsewhere. From Cuba, he chartered important expeditions that led to the Spanish discovery and conquest of the Aztec Empire.