Venezuela Christopher Columbus was the first European explorer to reach Venezuela. In 1498 he landed on Paria Peninsula. In 1498 and 1499, the Spanish explored most of the Caribbean coast of South America. Before European settlers arrived, many Indian tribes lived in Venezuela. The two main tribes were the Carib and the Arawak. After the settlers came, large numbers of Indians died by catching European diseases and others died of starvation or warfare. During the 1500's Spaniards came to Venezuela to collect pearls from oysters. By the 1700's Venezuela was one of Spain's poorest South American colonies. Venezuela was o