The Yumbos fell into decline due to a combination
of Spanish colonization and lethal diseases such as smallpox and measles that the conquistadores brought with them from Europe.
By colonial times, the property of La Hesperia covered a tremendous area of land (from Aloag to Santo Domingo), and was owned by the Marquesa de Solanda, wife of the Mariscal of Ayacucho Antonio Jose de Sucre, a close friend and comrade in arms of Simon Bolivar (responsible for the independence of Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia). The Marquesa did not develop the land where La Hesperia is now located, due to its harsh environment and lack of roads.