Marcos Xiorro

Marcos Xiorro was the slave name of an enslaved African in Spanish Puerto Rico who, in 1821, planned and conspired to lead a slave revolt against the sugarcane plantation owners and the Spanish Colonial government. Although his rebellion was unsuccessful, he achieved legendary status among the island's slave population and has become part of Puerto Rican folklore.

Early years It is not known when Xiorro was born or from what people and region in Africa he came from. What is known about him is that he was a Bozal slave, who had been recently brought to the Spanish colony of Puerto Rico directly from Africa. Xiorro was enslaved by Vicente Andino, a Militia Captain who owned a sugar plantation in the municipality of Bayamón.

False rumors of freedom In 1812, Salvador Meléndez Bruna, the governor of Puerto Rico, ordered that any slave who disrespected his master would be punished with fifty lashes by the civil authorities — and then returned to his master for additional punishment. A 100-lashes punishment was given to those who committed a violent act or incited a rebellion.

Although these proposals were never discussed in sessions of the Spanish Courts, Josefa Giralt's slaves learned about the letter and, believing that slavery had been abolished, they spread the "news" that they were free. A slave named Benito contributed to the rumor by circulating the mistaken news that the Cortes Generales y Extraordinarias de la Nacion (General and Extraordinary Courts of the Nation) had granted slaves their freedom. These false rumors led to various confrontations between the slaves, the military and the slave masters. Guaynabo, and Palo Seco. With this critical mass of slaves, all armed and emboldened from a series of quick victories, they would invade the capital city of San Juan, where they would declare Xiorro their king. Figueres then informed the mayor of Bayamón of the planned rebellion. The mayor proceeded to mobilize 500 soldiers for the defense of the city. They pursued the slaves, quickly capturing the ringleaders and followers of the conspiracy. A total of 61 slaves were imprisoned in Bayamón and San Juan. In the years that followed, many of the slaves who had been imprisoned and returned to their masters later escaped from their plantations. The government placed a limit on this "buy-back" period and created an insular "Protector's Office" to oversee the transition. Under the new law, former slaves were to remain indentured for a maximum period of three years. After that they would go free. During that three-year period, they could work for their former masters, for other people, or for the state. Once the three-year period expired, if a slave had any remaining debt, the Protector's Office would pay it with an "indemnity bond" at the discounted value of 23% of the claimed debt.

In film In 2007, Cine del Caribe, S.A. released a film about the slave conspiracy titled El Cimarrón, starring Pedro Telemaco as Marcos Xiorro.