Las fortificaciones perdidas del Darién: los proyectos del ingeniero militar Antonio de Arévalo (1761-1785)

Abstract

The province of Darién (which straddled what is today the border between Panama and Colombia) had a key strategic location and vast natural wealth. Despite this, it was neglected by the Spanish crown from the very start of the conquest, to such an extent that by the end of the XVII century it was home to British settlements dedicated to military and commercial activities. In 1671 an expedition was sent to the region under the command of the military engineer Antonio de Arévalo, who at that time held the post of director of the fortifications of Cartagena, Colombia. His keen grasp of strategy, combined with his knowledge of the geographical and physical conditions of the New World, led him to plan a complex network of inland and coastal fortifications. However, all that now remains of these fortifications are his designs, since the ones that were build were eventually abandoned by their inhabitants, and devoured by the vegetation and humidity of the dense tropical rainforest.