[4] After sailing with Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the New World in 1493, de Bastidas petitioned the Spanish Crown to start his own quest to be financed totally with his own money.

In exchange for granting de Bastidas the right to explore various territories in the New World, the Crown required him to give them one fourth of the net profits he would acquire.

At the South American coast he sailed westward from Cabo de la Vela, Colombia, in an attempt to explore the coastline of the Caribbean basin.

However, the poor condition of his ships, caused by shipworm that ate the wooden hull, forced him to turn back and head to Santo Domingo to effect repairs.

On arrival in Santo Domingo he was placed under arrest by Governor Francisco de Bobadilla,[5] and sent back to Spain for allegedly trading with the indigenous people without permission.

The following quote related to the founding of Santa Marta does not support this appellation:[citation needed] "I assure you that with the help of God I will enter powerfully against you, and I will make war on you in every place and in every way that I can, and I will subject you to the yoke and obedience of the church and their highnesses, and I will take your persons and your women and your children, and I will make them slaves, and as such I will sell them, and dispose of them as their highnesses command: I will take your goods, and I will do you all the evils and harms which I can, just as to vassals who do not obey and do not want to receive their lord, resist him and contradict him.

Owing to a lack of adequate medical facilities in Santa Marta, Bastidas attempted to sail to Santo Domingo, but bad weather forced him to land in Cuba, where he died from his injuries.