The Guipuzcoana Company: institution for the control of trade
The Guipuzcoana Company was created by Royal Decree of the King on September 25, 1728. Its essential purpose was to control trade between Spain and the province of Venezuela, especially cocoa, a highly coveted product on the international market for its extraordinary quality.
The company, in addition to marketing cocoa and setting purchase prices for producers, had the right to transport and sell all types of goods, significantly affecting the interests of cocoa producers, large and small. There were numerous complaints and protests. The most important was that of Juan Francisco de León in 1749, which was severely subdued and its promoter punished in an exemplary manner. Due to the demands and objections of producers and the controversial operation of the company, it was finally dissolved by Royal Decree on March 10, 1785.
The knowledge we have of the Guipuzcoana Company is limited and primarily negative, as an expression of the monopoly exercised by Spain during the colonial period. Thus, it has passed into posterity. Almost 300 years after its creation, traces of its presence can still be found among us through some of the houses it occupied during its years of operation. Two of the most emblematic are the Casa Guipuzcoana in La Guaira, currently the seat of the Governor's Office, and the Casa Guipuzcoana in Puerto Cabello, which is currently being renovated.
Did you know this story? Have you ever seen these houses?
To learn more about the Guipuzcoana Company and the reactions to its management, you can consult the Dictionary of the History of Venezuela published by the
Empresas Polar Foundation:
https://bibliofep.fundacionempresaspo...
https://bibliofep.fundacionempresaspo...
https://bibliofep.fundacionempresaspo...
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This episode is presented by:
Phoinike: https://phoinike.com / @phoinike_global
Empresas Polar Foundation: https://fundaciónempresaspolar.org