In 1610 CE, an earthquake struck La Grita and other towns in the Mérida region of Venezuela. The quake caused significant damage and was one of several seismic events to affect the Andean region of South America during the colonial period. This event is documented in Spanish colonial records.

The 1610 earthquake is mentioned in colonial chronicles and is part of the historical record of the Spanish colonization of the Andes. These chronicles are important sources for the literature of the period, which often included descriptions of natural phenomena. The event is a notable example in the history of Venezuelan literature, where the landscape and its dangers are recurring themes.