Uchico was the first King of the Afro-Bolivians. He was captured and brought to Bolivia as a slave around 1820. He was crowned as Afro-Bolivian king in 1823.
| Uchicho | |
|---|---|
| King of the Afro-Bolivians | |
| Coronation | 1823 |
| Predecessor | Monarchy established |
| Successor | Bonifaz Pinedo |
| Born | Kingdom of Kongo |
| House | Pinedo |
Biography
editUchicho was born in either the Kingdom of Kongo or Senegal into a tribal royal family. He was captured and enslaved and brought to Upper Peru, a province of the Spanish Empire, around 1820.[1][2] He was enslaved by the Marquis de Pinedo at an hacienda in the Los Yungas.[3]
Allegedly, Uchicho bore tribal marks only held by royalty, and was therefore recognized by other slaves as a prince.[4]
Uchicho was crowned King of the Afro-Bolivians by the slave community in 1823.[2][1] Two years later, slavery was abolished in Bolivia. Uchicho was succeeded as king by Bonifaz, who later adopted the surname Pinedo from the plantation owner.[1]
Legacy
editThe Royal Order of Merit of Prince Uchicho, the Afro-Bolivian monarchy's official dynastic order of merit founded in 2012, is named after him.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Web Oficial de la Casa Real Afroboliviana". www.casarealafroboliviana.org.
- ^ a b Rodríguez, Andrés (November 14, 2016). "The last king of the Americas". EL PAÍS English.
- ^ Rodríguez, Andres (January 19, 2018). "El retorno del rey negro boliviano a sus raíces africanas". El País – via elpais.com.
- ^ Busqué, Jordi (11 March 2021). "Bolivia's little-known tribal kingdom". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Real Orden del Mérito". Afro-Bolivian Royal House. Retrieved 3 May 2024.