Martín Vasquez de Arce

Martín Vasquez de Arce, O.P. (died January 13, 1609) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Puerto Rico (1599–1609).

Biography Martín Vasquez de Arce was born in Cuzco, Spain, said to have Inca blood from his mother's side. He was educated at and ordained a priest in the Order of Preachers. While bishop, he was the Co-Consecrator of Juan Ramírez de Arellano, Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala, Juan Pérez de Espinosa, Bishop of Santiago de Chile, and Mateo Burgos Moraleja, Bishop of Pamplona. In 1602, he came into conflict with the governor of Puerto Rico, Sancho Ochoa de Castro. Having arrived on the same boat to Puerto Rico, they were at first friends, but he grew to dislike him for the negligence and misconduct he saw in his rule. He wrote a list of his abuses, which, with the corroboration of the San Juan city council, caused the governor to be sent away for trial.

He served as Bishop of Puerto Rico until his death on January 13, 1609.