Isabel

Isabel (fl. 1500s) was a Waikeri leader. During her reign, she allied the Waikeri with the Spanish Empire to protect the Waikeri people from enslavement, forced taxation and subjugation under the encomienda system. She was the child of many former leaders including her grandfathers Charaima and Paraguarime and her father Charamaya. Charamaya and Charaima were leaders among the nearby Caraca people living near modern-day Caracas. Among the Waikeri, property and titles are inherited matrilineally and thus she inherited her office through her mother.

When the Waikeri made contact with Spanish colonizers, they allied with them. This is when Isabel, whose Waikeri name is unknown, adopted the Spanish name Isabel after her baptism. It was taken in honor of Isabel de Manrique de Villalobos (mother of the future governor of the Province of Margarita, Aldonza Villalobos Manrique) and Isabella I of Castile. In 1525, King Charles I recognized the Waikeri as free vassals of the crown. While cooperating with the Spanish, she also worked to preserve the traditions and lands of her people. She received the title "Dona" from the Crown of Castile.

In 1979, Conferry, a Venezuelan shipping company, bought a Norwegian ship and named it after Isabel. The Cacica Isabel was in continuous use until 2016.