Pablo Presbere

Pablo (originally Pabru) Presbere (1670? -1710) was an Indigenous king of the community of Suinse, in the region that is now known as Talamanca, in the south-east of Costa Rica. He is remembered as the indigenous leader who led the aboriginal insurrection in "Tierra Adentro" (an area on the Talamanca mountain range) against the Spanish authorities on September 29, 1709, in the course of which several friars and soldiers and the wife of one of these were killed and fourteen temples erected by the missionaries were set ablaze. The rebellion was supported by all the natives of Costa Rica from Cerro Chirripó to Isla Tojar, in Almirante Bay, Panama, with the exception of the Viceitas, and allowed the aboriginals to regain control of the territory of Talamanca, which became a refuge area during the colonial period of Costa Rica. He was known as the most feared warrior in Talamanca. Some sources argue that his original indian name "Pabru" means "chief of the macaw" and "Preberi" would be "Place of running waters". The macaw is a bird of religious significance for the Bribri people thus, some scholars argue that Presbere was actually a shaman or religious leader and not from a warrior caste, which may also explain both the respect that he inspired in other natives and the fear that the Spaniards had for him.

Biography

The reason for the indigenous uprising of 1709 was the interception, by Presbere, of a letter ordering the uprooting of the Talamanca Indians from their lands and transferring them, by force, to the villages of Boruca, Chirripo, and Teotique. Secretly reunited in Suinse with the head of the Cabécares, Comesala, both chiefs quietly organized the stockpile of spears made of hardened wood and leather shields.

In Costa Rica several monuments have been dedicated: one of 3.12 m high, made of copper, which is in front of the Municipality of Limón, inaugurated in 1993, and another that is a bronze bust that is in the courtyard of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica.