| Juan Ramírez de la Piscina de Velasco y Ábalos | |
| Order: | Governor of the Tucumán (1586-1593) Governor of the Río de la Plata and Paraguay (1595-1596) |
| Birth Date: | 1539 |
| Birth Place: | La Rioja, Spain |
| Death Date: | 1597 |
| Death Place: | Santa Fe, Viceroyalty of Peru |
| Nationality: | Spanish |
| Occupation: | Conquistador |
| Profession: | Military man |
| Signature: | Firma de Juan Ramírez de Velasco.jpg |
| Branch: | Spanish Army |
| Rank: | General |
Juan Ramírez de Velasco (c.1539 – 1597) was a Spanish conquistador of Chile and Argentina. Founder of the province of La Rioja.[1]
Juan Ramírez de Velasco was born in the village of Estollo, son of a noble family of Castile, and descendant of the King of Navarre Ramiro Sánchez.[2] In 1570 Ramirez was married in Seville with Catherine de Ugarte, a Spanish noblewoman, daughter of Pedro Santiago de Ugarte and Ana de Velasco.[3]
In his youth Ramírez fought in Flanders and Italy during the Italian War of 1551–59.[4] Arrived in America Ramirez was appointed governor of Tucumán by Philip II of Spain to replace Hernando de Lerma.[5] Ramírez served in the government of Tucuman between 1586-1593.
In 1588 being the governor of Tucumán Juan Ramirez de Velasco made expeditions against the Indians in calchaquí valley and won the allegiance of a son of Juan Calchaquí. Shortly after he founded the city of Todos los Santos de la Nueva Rioja.[6] In 1592 he founded the city of Madrid de las Juntas in the present department Metán.[7]
In 1594 Juan Ramírez Velasco was appointed commander of the Governorate of the Rio de la Plata a position he held between 1595-1597.[8] He was replaced by Hernando Arias de Saavedra. Juan Ramirez de Velasco died in February 1597 in the City of Santa Fe, Argentina.[9]