Afro-Latinos

Afro-Latin Americans, also called African, Mulatto or Zambo are Black people who ended up in the Latin America from Africa mainly as a result of slavery. They were enslaved to work for free in agriculture, mainly sugar plantations but also as house servants between 1526 to 1867. Close to 11 million people were enslaved mainly by Portuguese and Spanish people mainly from East, West, Central, North and Southern Africa.

Countries and estimate of Afro-Latin Americans

Brazil, 14 million

  • Haiti, 10 million
  • Colombia, 4.5 million
  • Mexico, 2.5 million
  • Ecuador, 1 million
  • Cuba, 1 million
  • Venezuela, 1 million
  • Dominican Republic, 1 million
  • Puerto Rico, 1 million
  • Honduras, 800 000
  • Peru, 800 000
  • Panama, 600 000
  • Costa Rica, 390 000
  • Uruguay, 300 000
  • Nicaragua, 279 000
  • Argentina, 149 000
  • Guatemala, 100 000
  • Chile, 100 000
  • Bolivia, 40 000

There has been a lot of intermarriages with other races, to the extent that there are mixed races as they are called in other countries or coloureds as they are called in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and other countries.

Myths about slavery

Europeans have for long advanced some myths about slavery, mainly to exonerate them from this grave injustice. It is untrue that:

  1. Slavery was started by Africans. The truth is it was initiated by Europeans, by force and deception as a result of their capitalistic and individualistic tendencies.
  2. It is untrue that an equal number of slaves was taken to Asia. There was slaves taken to Asia, but not comparable to those who were taken by Europeans.
  3. It is utterly untrue that slavery benefited Africa or African kingdoms. If fact, it destroyed them by taking labour away. Often, white people used Kings then turn against them to increase number of slaves.
  4. It is untrue that Africans willingly participated in the slave trade – where they did it was by force and cohesion and deception.
  5. It is untrue that slavery was not resisted by families, villages, Kingdoms and those enslaved.
  6. It is untrue that slave owners were humane, in fact they separated families, beat individuals, killed, rapped etc
  7. While Jews are receiving reparations in billions from Germany of dollars for the holocaust, White people have refused to do the same for those who suffered the horrors of slavery and their communities of origin. Related, Germany has resisted paying reparations for the genocide it committed in Namibia. No reparations for Black people but for White people.
  8. It is a myths that Africans were enslaved by Africans – this idea is pushed by White people to exonerate themselves yet Black people who participated did so under force, coercion, deception and small tokens such as alcohol.
  9. Religion, especially Christianity played a huge role in slavery by forcing people to be submissive.
  10. Slaves contributed to the economies and development of the developed world – free labour for about 400 years.
  11. It is a myths that slavery happened a long time ago and it has been forgotten. the wounds are very fresh and they are opened everyday.
  12. There are many families, communities, businesses and institutions who benefited from slavery and are still enjoying the proceeds today.

Some popular African-Latin Americans

Pele