Afro-Venezuelan:
– Between 1576 and 1810, about 100,000 enslaved African were transported to Venezuela via the transatlantic slave trade, belonging to various ethnicities from west and central Africa.
– Afro-Venezuelans can be found all over Venezuela, but the largest Afro-Venezuelan population is located in the Barlovento region.
– Afro-Venezuelan religious practices have been adapted to Catholicism. Drumming and dancing bear a close resemblance to various forms of African ancestor worship. In addition, the influx of Cuban immigrants after the Cuban Revolution has established the Afro-Cuban religion Santería among Venezuelans.
– Afro-Venezuelan musical expression is characterised by a great diversity of drums, mainly African origin and many bear direct resemblance to the drums of Bantu-speaking and West African groups.
– Now let’s talk about racism: Although Abolition occurred in 1854, freedom did not bring equality. Venezuela, like many other Latin American countries, used the idea of the mixed born of European, Indigenous, and African blood, to uphold a myth of racial democracy. In reality African cultural traditions remained marginalised and European traditions were promoted. The black people remained at the bottom of the economic and social hierarchy.
– Under the leadership of the late Hugo Chávez (1999 to 2013), Venezuela has made strides toward combating the historical legacy of racism and recognising the importance of African heritage, promoting social inclusion and respect for Afro-Venezuelans. Among his work included the creation of the “law against racial discrimination”, the incorporation of the category of Afro Descendant in the census, and the creation of Afro Venezuelan Day (10 May), as well as the expansion of embassies and consulates in Africa to name a few.
– Although, Venezuela has come a long way with racial justice, racism is still very alive but just in a different form. A subtle but notably example, the country’s beauty queens invariably conform to white beauty ideals. In a our previous post, we mentioned Venezuela has won the most beauty pageant crowns in the world, but how many were Afro-Venezuelan?
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