Since the 16th century the island of Cuba had been under the control of the governor-captain general of

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

. The conquest of Cuba was organized in 1510 by the recently restored Viceroy of the Indies,

Diego Colón Diego Columbus ( pt, Diogo Colombo; es, Diego Colón; it, Diego Colombo; 1479/1480 – February 23, 1526) was a navigator and explorer under the Kings of Castile and Aragón. He served as the 2nd Admiral of the Indies, 2nd Viceroy of the Indie ...

, under the command of

Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar Diego Velázquez de CuéllarPronounced: (1465 – c. June 12, 1524) was a Spanish conquistador and the first governor of Cuba. In 1511 he led the successful conquest and colonization of Cuba. As the first governor of the island, he establi ...

, who became Cuba's first governor until his death in 1524. Velázquez founded the city of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa in 1511 and convoked a general '' cabildo'' (a

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

council) to govern Cuba, which was authorized by the king of Spain.

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...

Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War (1519–21), was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. There are multiple 16th-century narratives of the eve ...

was undertaken from Cuba. Cuba was incorporated in

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...

after the conquest of Mexico.

References

Historia general de los hechos de los Castellanos en Las Islas Y Tierra firme
{{coord missing, Cuba Spanish colonization of the Americas Governorates of the Spanish Empire 1511 establishments in the Spanish Empire 1519 disestablishments in the Spanish Empire 1519 disestablishments in North America States and territories established in 1511 States and territories disestablished in 1521