Blasco Núñez Vela (1490 - 1546) was the first viceroy of Peru. The king of Spain put him in charge of the conquistadors, keeping them in line. Núñez Vela was a very cocky and selfish man, who wanted all of the power for himself. He is most remembered and known for creating and imposing the controversial New Laws, which dealt with the encomienda system. The encomienda system said that when a person (conquistador) conquered a new town, then they got the rights to it. Blasco's New Laws were not received well by the conquistadors because they said that the Indian slave trade must end, that everyone had to pay their fair share of taxes, and that all of the encomienda rights had to go to the king. This did not go over well with the conquistadors because they thought that they deserved to get all of the land that they had won. Seven hundred of them fought Blasco and his small army of only a couple hundred at a battle in Anaquito. This is where Blasco Núñez Vela met his fate. He was killed fighting in the battle, and then afterwards the conquistadors had him decapitated. They put his head on a spike and marched with it to show everyone that they had won and that they were in charge.

See also

• History of Peru
• Spanish conquest of Peru