AGUIRRE, LOPE DE

born c. 1518, , Oate, Spain died Oct. 27, 1561, El Tocuyo, Viceroyalty of Peru [now in Venezuela] Spanish adventurer who is known chiefly for his role in the murders of the explorers Pedro de Ursa and Fernando de Guzmn. Nothing is known of Aguirre's life prior to 1544, when he arrived in Peru and took part in the Spanish suppression of Indian rebellions and in the wars that continually broke out between the Spanish conquerors. On Sept. 26, 1560, he joined an expedition led by Ursa to find the legendary kingdom of Eldorado, which was thought to be located at the headwaters of the Amazon River, in what is now western Brazil. Upon reaching the headwaters, Aguirre incited a rebellion in which Ursa was killed. He then killed Guzmn, who had succeeded Ursa, and took command of the expedition. It was said that Aguirre had all those members of the expedition who had opposed his plans, including several priests, put to death. He is then thought to have raided several towns in what is now Venezuela before he was finally caught and executed by the Spaniards. It is also believed that he killed his own daughter immediately prior to his capture. Aguirre was considered to be a thoroughly disreputable character, and his name in colonial Spanish America practically became synonymous with cruelty and treachery.