Francisco de Bobadilla was a Spanish colonial administrator. Member of the Order of Calatrava, in 1499, de Bobadilla was appointed to succeed Christopher Columbus as the second governor of the Indies, Spain's new territories in America, by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Upon his arrival at Santo Domingo, Hispaniola in August 1500, de Bobadilla upheld accusations of mismanagement made against Columbus, and had Columbus sent back to Spain in chains.[1]
In 1502, he was replaced as governor of Hispaniola by Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres.
He died July 11 [O.S. July 1] 1502 during a hurricane that wrecked 20 vessels of the 31-ship convoy, including the flagship, El Dorado, in the Mona Passage returning to Spain. Among the surviving ships was the Aguja, the weakest ship of the convoy and which carried the gold Columbus was owed—spurring accusations that Columbus magically invoked the storm out of vengeance.[2]