Zabala, Bruno de

(1682–1736) was named Capitán General of the Río de la Plata in 1717. He suppressed piracy and confronted the Portuguese, who sought to claim the River Plate. In 1726, Zabala constructed a fortress. This settlement became the centre of Spanish control and later the capital of Uruguay: Montevideo. His equestrian is part of an attractive monument on the very place where Zabala built his fortress.