Mu-arcos Xiorro wayeyisigqila, okwathi ngo-1821 wahlela ukuvukela izigqila kubanikazi bamasimu kashukela kanye nohulumeni wamakoloni waseSpain ePuerto Rico. Ngisho nesakhiwo asizange sisebenze ngendlela okwakudingeka ukuba sibe ngayo, saba nomthelela omkhulu phakathi kwezigqila futhi siyingxenye yomlando wasePuerto Rican. Asazi kahle kahle ukuthi wazalelwaphi uMarcos, nokuthi wathathwa kusiphi isifunda sase-Afrika, esikwaziyo nje ukuthi wathathwa e-Afrika ngabaseSpain futhi wakhonza uVicente Andio othile, umnikazi wensimu yoshukela.
EPuerto Rico, ukuhlubuka kokuqala kwesigqila kwenzeka kanje ku-1527, lapho izinceku eziyishumi zalwa impi namaKoloniya aseSpain. Ukuhlubuka akuphumelelanga futhi izigqila zakwazi ukubalekela ezintabeni ukuze zenze imiphakathi yama-chestnuts lapho zihlala khona neTain (abantu bomdabu besiqhingi). Ngemva kokuguqulwa kweHaiti, amaFulentshi abeshaywe abalekela eDominican Republic base beya ePuerto Rico, lapho bahlala khona futhi banquma ukwenza lesi siqhingi, esinye sezikhulu ezishukela kakhulu. Ngaphambi kwe-1873, ubugqila babuqedwa ePuerto Rico, kanti iningi lomcebo owabanjwe ngabanikazi kwakuwukuxhashazwa kwezigqila. Futhi ukuphikisana okuningi nokungalaleli kwaqashelwa phakathi kwezigqila, ezazikhathele ngokuphila ngendlela efanayo naphezu kokuqedwa. Futhi nje, ngemva ekuphumeleleni kwalo Haitian Revolution (1791 - 1804), amahebezi sengathi wayisakaza baseCaribbean ukuthi baseHaiti eceba ukuhlasela amakoloni Spanish. Lawa mahemuhemu ayethusa abanikazi bezitshalo njengoba bebebalekele eHaiti.