The mines are in rugged country about 600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level on the northern side of the Andes, which run from east to west.

[3] The King of Spain gave the mines in perpetuity to Dr. Francisco Marín de Narváez and his heirs in exchange for 40,000 pesos.

[4] Mining began in 1632, following gold veins, which led to discovery of large deposits of copper.

[3] The mines attracted the indigenous Gayones Indians of the Duaca region, 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the southwest.

[5] Around the end of the 17th century the "Cobre Caracas" mining company became the property of the family of Simón Bolívar (1783–1830).

[7] According to an 1825 newspaper report, "The Aroa mines have been but partially and defectively worked by the old Spanish Government, about 40 of the natives only being employed at one time and even then yielded 300 tons of refined copper annually.

[4] In the 1830s Cornishmen in the reduction department of the Aroa mines made significant advances in methods of calcinating the copper ore.[11] However, the company closed the mines in 1836 due to high mortality among the European workers and tensions with the native workers.

[13] During Hawkshaw's short stay at Aroa, a new road was constructed to reduce the mule haulage distance, navigation of the River Aroa was improved to cater for larger boats and the route of a future railway line from the mine to the coast planned.

[14] During the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–03 Britain, Germany and Italy imposed a naval blockade due to Venezuela's refusal to pay damages suffered during the Federal War.

In 1903 the British-Venezuelan Commission made an arbitration decision in the Aroa Mines Case that damages would not be allowed for injury to people or property committed by the troops of unsuccessful rebels.

[15] The umpire quoted an 1868 judgement that "Damages done to property in consequence of battles being fought upon it between the belligerents is to be ascribed to the hazards of war and can not be made the foundation of a claim against the government of the country in which the engagement took place.