San Basilio de Palenque: Colombia’s first free town
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People in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, maintain a unique culture stemming from their history as the first town in the Americas founded by escaped slaves.
In the 17th century, Benkos Biohó, originally from Guinea-Bissau, led a group of enslaved people to establish a settlement in present-day Colombia. Biohó and his people successfully defended their autonomy from Spanish and Portuguese forces, eventually gaining official recognition in 1713 as San Basilio de Palenque.
Though Biohó was eventually captured and executed, the town endured as a symbol of freedom and resistance for Afro-descendants. Today, Palenque’s roughly 3,500 residents preserve their heritage through a distinct language, a blend of Spanish, Portuguese, and Bantu languages, and vibrant traditions like the mapalé dance and the lumbalú ritual honoring the dead. UNESCO designated San Basilio de Palenque a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005, drawing increased tourism.
Residents express their identity through murals displaying stories, language, and local heroes like boxer Antonio Cervantes Reyes and footballer Yurelis Andreina Casianni. The town also maintains its own system of justice alongside the Colombian legal system, with a community guard and a traditional House of Justice resolving disputes.
