Its name is a tribute to the Spanish general Heliodoro Barbosa, who fought relentlessly against the Ubazas Indians, settlers of the region and who are said to be the most accurate macana archery marksmen.

The main original nuclei existing by the lands crossed by Martín Galeano are the following: Agataes, with Chipatá as head, and the clans and rancherios in Guavatá, Ubasá, Güepsa and some other points: Yariguíes or Lloriquíes, watered by the mountainous area that extends long behind Vélez to the north; the Guanes and Chanchones by the oriental margin of the Sarabita River and slopes of the Mochuelo or Fonce; and something more to the east the Chalalaes or Charalás.

For that reason Galeano and its people took a slip when they undertook their campaign, they thought to find great towns and a lot of gentility, at the end they only found a few groups and tough fighters.

The conquistadors set foot on these lands for the first time in the year of 1539, when the conqueror Martín Galeano, following the orders of Don Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, visited the Santanderean mountains in which he had to find some similar to those of Vélez (Spain).

Among the first inhabitants of Barbosa who sat his plant in these rich regions are the families of surnames Becaría, Camacho, Escamilla, Ulloa, Moncada, Chaparro, Fajardo, Cely, Ríos and González.

The municipality of Barbosa communicates with Bogota through the National Bridge, Chiquinquirá, a paved road for the most part and begins the transversal of Carare (Puerto Berrío, on the Magdalena River).