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In Latin America, Afro-descendant groups were typically formed by enslaved individuals who either escaped or were freed and sought refuge in isolated regions. Despite enduring centuries of colonization, exploitation, and oppression, these communities have maintained their cultural traditions and languages. However, many still face poverty, lack of access to resources, and threats from climate change, industrialization, and land dispossession. Activists are actively fighting for their rights. These Afro-Latinx groups boast rich and resilient histories. Here are eight of them you should know.
1. Garifuna // Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua
The Garifuna are descendants of indigenous Caribbean populations and escaped enslaved Africans. In the late 1800s, they moved to Nicaragua, Guatemala, and other Central American countries, often taking up work in construction, agriculture, and logging.
The Garifuna have been able to preserve their cultural practices and language by establishing independent coastal communities. In 2005, the passage of Law 445 in Nicaragua granted the Garifuna land rights, a step that continues to help safeguard their culture and heritage.
2. Miskito // Honduras and Nicaragua
The Miskito Kingdom, which once spanned the coastlines of modern Nicaragua and Honduras, was internationally recognized from 1633 until 1894, when Nicaragua invaded and took control. Today, the Miskito people are separated by the border between the two countries. Many who reside on the Nicaraguan side fled to Honduras during the conflicts with the Sandinista government in the 1980s. Presently, they primarily sustain themselves through cattle and poultry farming, fishing, and various forms of agriculture. Their main languages include Miskito Coast Creole, English, and Spanish.
3. Malagasy // Peru
The Afro-descendant Malagasy people reside along Peru's northern coast and in the southern coastal regions of Ica and Nazca. Brought to Peru during colonial times to labor on plantations, the Malagasy community now mainly depends on agriculture and artisanal crafts for their livelihoods. In 2009, the Peruvian government issued a formal apology to its African-descendant citizens for centuries of mistreatment and oppression.
4. Palenques // Colombia and Venezuela
The Palenques of Colombia trace their origins to a community formed by enslaved people who escaped from Cartagena in search of freedom. In the 18th century, the Spanish officially recognized the Palenque as a sovereign people. Today, they predominantly reside in Palenque de San Basilio in Northern Colombia and in parts of Venezuela. In 2005, UNESCO designated the region as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Palenque is also the name of the language spoken by these communities. It is a unique blend of European languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, English, and French, along with African Bantu languages. The number of Palenque speakers today is uncertain, and the use of the language continues to decline.
5. Wayuu // Colombia and Venezuela
The Wayuu people, often called 'the people of the sun, sand, and wind,' live in the Guajira peninsula, which straddles Venezuela and Colombia. Their population is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Historically, the Wayuu relied on agriculture and fishing for their livelihoods. Today, they continue to fight for the preservation of their ancestral land and their rights to it.
6. Cambacuá // Paraguay
The Cambacuá people are located to the east of Paraguay's capital, Asuncion. In the 20th century, former Uruguayan leaders displaced most of the Cambacuá to make way for new buildings, while the loss of agricultural work triggered a mass migration to urban areas. Although the Cambacuá population has significantly decreased, the community is actively working to preserve their ethnic identity despite land dispossession and government neglect.
7. Quilombolas // Brazil
Enslaved people who sought freedom established remote communities called Quilombos in Brazil. The largest of these settlements, Palmares, had around 20,000 inhabitants before it was conquered by the Portuguese at the end of the 17th century.
Descendants of the Quilombos, known as Quilombolas, have endured colonization. The Quilombola Program has recognized over 3500 communities, some of which have gained official land titles. These families and villages have preserved their rich cultural heritage, and continue to speak African-influenced dialects passed down through generations.
8. Neo-Taino // Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic
Before the Spanish colonization, the Taino were the largest indigenous group in the Caribbean, with an estimated population in the millions. They lived in wooden houses and maintained structured systems of governance and religion. The Taino were also skilled artisans, creating pottery, baskets, and jewelry.
The population of the Taino was devastated by disease and enslavement during colonization, leaving only a few thousand by the mid-16th century. Today, Afro-Caribbean communities in Puerto Rico are reclaiming their Taino identity through the Neo-Taino movement, asserting their right to self-determine as Taino.
