Lhe resistance to slavery in Venezuela began very early. The very first recorded occurred in 1532 in Coro but the most famous uprising took place in the mines of Buria in 1552 and was led by Miguel (known as El Negro Miguel or also Rey Miguel, which means “The black Miguel” and “King Miguel” respectively).
African slave, MIGUEL rebelled against the guard because of the degrading conditions he suffered in the mines. Oral traditions report that he was able to seize the sword and the whip of the one who watched him and with the support of the other slaves, he snatched certain firearms from the hands of the Spaniards, then with his wife Guiomar, his son and the other slaves, they escaped to the hills. Arrived there, he formed a community of maroons, organized a government, had a great wall built all around the territory, had houses built, chose a priest to serve and help the people to practice as they should. ancestral religions, and he was able to organize an army. With his army, Miguel was able to resist the multiple attacks of the Spaniards. During the night, he and some of his men would sneak into the surrounding plantations to persuade the other slaves to join them. Some Indians also joined the community of maroons, and the latter grew little by little. The number of maroons in his army is estimated at 1200, and the total population of the community is around 10.000. Miguel was named king, his wife queen and his son successor to the throne.
The Maroon army was defeated when the Spanish in the region gathered and with the help of an Indian named Tocuyo, attacked by surprise just outside the door of the new kingdom. They killed Miguel and beat his army. Some of the former slaves were captured and made slaves again, but the majority escaped forming other Maroon communities in the country. Fugitive slave communities continued to grow throughout the 1720th and 30.000th centuries, and by 60.000 there were around XNUMX maroons compared to the XNUMX still working on the plantations. Even Queen Guiomar, who was probably the first and only black queen in the Americas was captured with her son and made slaves again.