Born around 1528 in the Cape Verde region in Senegal today. At ten, he is
captured by slavers and sold in Spain. Alonso Illescas Spanish merchant of Sevilla
who bought, give him his name. He teaches him Spanish, lifestyle and especially
the military profession in which he excels. At 25, he accompanied his master in
Latin America. He lived in San Domingo in the Caribbean in the service of his
master in his trade clothing, cold cuts, swords, horses, olive oil, wine and
African slaves.
The Revolt of Africans!
In
October 1553, the merchant vessel they boarded that contained among other
goods, 17 Africans and African 6, all slaves from Guinea, ran aground on the
reef and sank in Puerto Viejo, between Panama and Lima. Slave women and men who
were on the boat fled into the forest. They reach the village of Pidi under the
leadership of Anton. Being the best trained, Alonso Illescas becomes logically
their leader in 1560 after the death of Anton. He learned the local languages,
forms alliances with the Indians of the Nigua community and rejects the Spanish
authority. Women and African men marry with indigenous and give rise to the
mulatto as the Spaniards called Zambos.
How to make peace with Spanishes authorities!
Illescas
wanted to make peace with the Spanish authorities in exchange for official
recognition of freedom of himself and the members of the African community. According
to the writings of the Spanish priest Miguel Cabello Balboa (1535-1608), in
1577, he received the proposal to be knighted and appointed governor of
Esmeraldas by order of the King of Spain in exchange, he had to persuade other
chiefdoms the region and the other bands rivals chestnuts, to let the Spaniards
settle at the mouth of the Esmeraldas River. lIlescas realized that his attempt
would have led to the internal war between the two communities of brown and
indigenous societies of the lowlands. He said to the king that he appreciated
the gesture, but he rejected the proposal, preferring the freedom and autonomy
of its people on their land. He led the community with the help of his two sons
Sebastian and Antonio before his death in the Esmeraldas region between 1587
and 1590.
His son Sebastian Illescas become national hero of Ecuador…in 1997!
His
son Sebastian finally signed the agreement with Spain and was knighted and
officially recognized leader Over the Maroons. In 1599 the painter GallicAndres
Sanchez , by order of Judge Juan Barrio painted his portrait as
"black head of Esmeraldas," he sends to the King of Spain. Illescas
received confirmation of his baptism in the name of Alonso hands of the Bishop
of Quito in 1600. Illescas family operated the Esmeraldas region for at least
two generations. On October 2, 1997, the National Congress of Ecuador passed
a special law establishing the National Day of Black recognizing Alonso
Illescas as a national hero of freedom in Ecuador.
