Friday, 3 June 2022

El Rey Miguel an African Freedom Fighter of Venezuela during Slave Trade

It is believed El Rey Miguel was born in either West Africa or Central Africa and he was brought by the Europeans to what is now Present day Venezuela , his birthdate was not recorded and he was brought from either West Africa or Central Africa in chains to work in the mine of Buria close to Nirgua , in the actual State of Yaracuy .

El Rey Miguel led the  African People to rebel against their Spanish Owners , El Rey Miguel also known as En Ingles or King Miguel , Others believed El Rey Miguel might be from Present day Benin , Present day Congo or Present day Angola . Miguel’s wife was known as Reina Guimar , Miguel and his wife followed by his son established a maroon settlement known as Cumbe also referred as Cimarron or Cucumbe the escaped runaway slave settlement . It is believed Miguel was born either in the Kingdoms of Africa such as Kingdom of Dahomey what is now Present day Benin , Kingdom of Kongo , Kingdom of Matamba his origins is not confirmed yet according to such claims . 

El Rey Miguel reigned as a ruler throughout the region of the rebels and El Rey Miguel gathered his people and killed the Spanish Slave masters during the rebellion in 1553 and Miguel with other Enslaved Africans built a moat around their newly formed township . 

They began to slowly build Cumbe and organized the first black government , built homes and Miguel became the Spiritual leader who taught the Maroons of Cimarrones and Enslaved Africans in general to practice their African Indigenous Spirituality brought from Africa during Slave Trade . Miguel set hundreds of Enslaved Africans free and they all gathered such as the blacks , mulattos and zambos then fought the Spanish to gain their freedom or liberty . It is said Miguel and his Army hide in the plantations and began to unite the Enslaved Africans and formed Cumbe later Miguel became the King , his wife became the Queen and his son became the Prince of Cumbe after they fought , 

The Spanish planned and also assassinated King El Rey Miguel when Miguel was died Spanish went ahead to enslave Africans again .  In 1720 , There were about 30,000 Freed Africans living in Cumbe , Venezuela while 60,000 were still being enslaved by force .

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