Despite Spain being the first ones to establish themselves in Nueva Cadiz, Santa Cruz, Coro and Cumana, it was Germany the first country to establish a structured government colony in Venezuela.

They called the land Kleine-Venedig (Little Venice), after being obtained from the King of Spain Charles I, who gave colonial rights to the Wesler family from Germany. The Weslers governed the region from 1528 to 1546, and their main interest was to find the legendary city “El Dorado”. They sent several expeditions to find it, the first one being led by Ambrosius Ehunger, who founded of Maracaibo in 1529, followed by Georg von Sprayer and Phillip von Hutten. Kleine-Venedig was also the largest German colony during the colonization of America.

After years of absence of the German governors (due to them being away from the city, searching for El Dorado), Spain took action through newly appointed governor Juan De Carvajal to recover the colony, by ordering the aprehension and eventual execution of all the Germans.