Historic Black Colombian town eyes second 'independence'

Over three centuries after winning freedom from Spanish colonial rule, Colombia's San Basilio de Palenque — regarded as "the first free Black territory in the Americas" — is preparing for a new kind of liberation.

Residents of the Afro-Colombian community, about 30 miles from Cartagena, will vote on 30 November in a referendum to become an independent municipality, separating from Mahates, reports The Guardian.

Locals believe administrative and budgetary autonomy could help address long-standing shortages of basic services such as running water, sanitation, and paved roads.

Home to about 4,000 people, San Basilio de Palenque was founded in the early 17th century by formerly enslaved Africans led by Benkos Biohó, who escaped bondage and established a self-governed settlement that Spain officially recognised as free in 1713.

Despite its UNESCO designation as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005 and its rich cultural legacy — including the unique Palenquero language, a blend of Spanish, Portuguese, and African Bantu tongues — the town remains impoverished and neglected.

The planned referendum, expected to pass overwhelmingly, could mark Palenque's "second independence," giving residents the right to elect their first mayor and manage local revenues. But the move also poses challenges, from governance capacity to sustaining its cultural revival.

Historians note that Palenque's story, symbolised by Benkos Biohó's resistance, continues to inspire Afro-Colombian identity and pride. Yet even as its people prepare for self-rule, reminders of neglect remain visible — including a damaged plaque beneath Biohó's statue, its inscription eroded by time.

For many Palenqueros, the vote is not just administrative. It is, once again, a declaration of freedom.