Juan Cerón

Juan Cerón
2nd Governor of Puerto Rico
Preceded by	Juan Ponce de León
In office 1511–1513
Personal details
Born	Écija, Spain
Nationality	Spaniard
Profession	Conquistador
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Juan Cerón was a Spanish Conquistador and the second governor (1511-1513) of Puerto Rico when the island was still called San Juan. He was born in Écija, Spain.

Biography

Cerón's legacy in the history of the island is tainted by the rivalries between Nicolas de Ovando and Christopher Columbus' son, Diego Colón. When Colón retook possession of his father's title of "Admiral of the Seas" and the governorship of Hispaniola in 1509, he dispatched Cerón to Puerto Rico with the title of Alcalde Mayor to replace Ovando's favorite, Juan Ponce de León. Ponce de León had just begun the conquest of Puerto Rico the previous year, and his replacement produced much dissension among the few settlers. Ovando advocated for Ponce de León in Madrid, and the Crown conferred on him the title of Captain General and Governor of San Juan Bautista. In 1511, however, under pressure by Colón, Cerón was posted as governor and Ponce de León left for his first adventure in Florida.

Cerón's governorship did not end well; complaints about his handling of the Repartimiento of Indians prompted the Crown to remove him and reinstall Ponce de León as governor in 1513.