He played a significant role in the early colonization of the Americas, including the subjugation of the Higüey and Jaragua provinces under Nicolás de Ovando's governorship in Santo Domingo.

Vasco Porcallo de Figueroa was born in Cáceres, Spain, into a noble family with connections to the Portuguese nobility and the Spanish Counts of Feria.

After serving in military campaigns in Spain and Italy, he traveled to the Americas, arriving in Santo Domingo in 1502 under the sponsorship of Governor Nicolás de Ovando.

Under Ovando, Porcallo contributed significantly to the subjugation of the Higüey and Jaragua provinces, receiving large land grants and control over local indigenous populations as rewards.

He owned a country property called La Sabana, located near Remedios, where he made a great fortune from his plantations and mines worked by his Siboney slaves.