Prior to the arrival of the Spanish explorers in the early 16th Century the area of what is present-day Villanueva was inhabited by a
Chimila tribe; the
Itotos, then led by
cacique Canopan and their settlement was called
Timiriguaco ("great village"). The village was allegedly founded by Don
Roque de Alba in 1662.
Colombian armed conflict Villanueva massacre massacred occurred on December 8, 1998 in the neighborhood known as
El Cafetal and some 11 people were assassinated by members of the
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) by orders of
Carlos Castaño. Alias "
Jorge 40", commander of the
Northern Bloc of the AUC, part of the paramilitary structure later admitted to participating in the massacre by order of Castaño, in which the operation was commanded by alias "Daniel" and a unit of some 80 paramilitaries. Victims were dragged out of their homes while a paramilitary commander called out their names on a list. Alias "Jorge 40" confessed that the massacre had taken place because there had been reports that the neighborhood was an enclave of the
Luciano Ariza Front of the
National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla. He also confessed the motives of selecting December 8 as the date of the massacre, a traditional local Roman Catholic celebration known as the "
Dia de las Velitas", and in which people use fireworks to celebrate. Fireworks would conceal the sound of the shots. ==Economy==