Gaspar Yanga
Written by Juan Ayala and Omar Guerrero
Gaspar Yanga was the enslaved African leader of the maroon colony of the highlands of Veracruz, Mexico during Spanish colonial rule. In 1570, Yanga led a rebellion of enslaved Africans that escaped into the highlands near Veracruz, Mexico. Under Gaspar’s leadership, enslaved Africans and maroon colony Africans successfully and fearlessly fought to maintain their freedom for more than 30 years in the Mexican highlands. The Spanish sent troops in an attempt to take over the highland territory and re-enslave Gaspar and his community. Their attempts were unsuccessful due to maroon African resistance and the Spaniards could not obtain a conclusive victory for years. Having losses on both sides, the Spanish decided to write a treaty on Gaspar’s terms in 1618. A knowledge of self became a beacon of hope for Gaspar and his community. Gaspar Yanga was said to have been born from a royal family, a prince, from modern day Gabon. In the late 19th century, Yanga was named as a national hero of Mexico and the settlement he formed in today’s Veracruz province was renamed as Yanga in his honor. Today, the town reportedly hosts a carnival in remembrance of Gaspar Yanga.
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