History

The original settlement of Santa Cruz, founded in 1561 by the Spaniard Ñuflo de Chávez, was some 250 km east (near the present-day town of San José de Chiquitos). It was moved in 1590 and again in 1595 to its present location, in response to attacks from indigenous tribes. As little as 50 years ago, Santa Cruz was nothing more than a remote backwater, where horses were the usual mode of transport along streets of red earth. New rail and road links, along with Viru-Viru International Airport, ended this isolation. Now there is an ever-increasing flow of immigrants from the highlands, in addition to the Mennonites from Canada and Paraguay, Japanese settlers and Brazilian businessmen. As well as agriculture (especially soya), cattle ranching and timber, the exploitation of oil and gas in Santa Cruz and neighbouring departments greatly contributed to the city's rapid development.