Juan Guartem was a Spanish renegade pirate who raided Spanish settlements 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 ...
during the late 17th century, most notably his raid against Chepo in 1679.
According to Spanish records, Juan Guartem traveled up the
Mandinga River with buccaneers
Eduardo Blomar and
Bartolomé Charpes. Once across the
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama ( es, Istmo de Panamá), also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien (), is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country ...
, they arrived at the coastal town of
Chepo and then looted the town before burning it in 1679.
Although forces were sent by Spanish by the Viceroy of Panama, they failed to capture them as the buccaneers escaped into the jungle. Despite this, the three were tried in absentia by the Viceroy and were sentenced to death; Guartem and his two partners being hanged in effigy at
Santa Fé de Bogotá
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
the following year.
Despite this, Guartem and the others continued to raid settlements throughout the northern and southern coast of Panama.
References
*Anderson, Charles Loftus Grant. ''Old Panama and Castilla Del Oro: A Narrative History of the Discovery, Conquest and Settlement by the Spaniards of Panama, Darien, Veragua, Santo Domingo, Santa Maria, Cartegena, Nicaragua and Peru''. Boston: Page Company, 1914.
*Scruggs, William Lindsay. ''The Colombian and Venezuelan Republics: With Notes on Other Parts of Central and South America''. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1900.
External links
Juan Guartem, Eduardo Blomar and Bartolomé Charpes: Pirates in Panama History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guartem, Juan
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing
Spanish pirates
17th-century Spanish people