Las Palenqueras

On June 1, 1533, a Spanish conquistador founded the port city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Archaeological evidence suggests that Indigenous communities had lived in the area as far back as 4,000 BCE. During the Spanish Colonial era, the city became a hub for economic and political development.

In Search of Freedom 

Because Cartagena grew into a major trade center during the 16th and 17th centuries, Spanish ships carrying enslaved Africans often docked there. Some of the captives managed to break free. They fled and established a village 50 kilometers to the southeast, which they called Palenque de San Basilio. The word palenque means “walled city.”

Palenque de San Basilio’s residents embarked on a mission: free all the enslaved people that arrived in Cartagena. They were eventually successful. In 1691, King Charles II of Spain decreed it an independent settlement as long as it harbored no new escapees. This proclamation established Palenque de San Basilio as the first officially free town in the Americas.

Who Are the Palenqueras?

To earn a living, women in the town harvested fresh fruit from the jungle. They filled baskets with their bounty and traveled to Cartagena to sell it on the streets. As this practice spread, the women became known as palenqueras.

Cartagena has many tourist attractions, such as colorful colonial buildings, plazas, castles, cathedrals, and a historic center. But the palenqueras are one of its best-known symbols.

They have become icons due to their smiles, their bright clothing, and the variety of fruit they offer. As they pass through the city, they spread delicious aromas of tropical flavors found in mangoes, bananas, papayas, and more.

Palenqueras are captivating not only as visual symbols but also for their skill at balancing great quantities of fruit on their heads. Head-carrying is a way to maintain their African roots and show cultural pride. Palenqueras represent more than a city. They are evidence of a culture that has thrived despite the odds.

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