Claim: Spanish conquistador Bartolome Ruiz invaded Colombia in 1524 along with 160 men and sailed to Ecuador, Jamaica, the tip Palmar, and San Juan de Coaques.
Evidence: Bartolomé Ruiz (c. 1482 in Moguer, Spain – c. 1532 in Cajamarca, Peru) was a Spanish conquistador. In 1524 he piloted for Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro and their army of 160 men, invading Colombia. Ruiz next sailed to Ecuador, becoming the first European to explore the Santiago River, Puma Lagartos, Point Oysters, the islands of Corcovado, and Cape San Francisco – named in honor of Pizarro. He continued on to the nose of Jamaica, the tip Palmar, and the town of San Juan de Coaques.