The LAST King of the Americas is a Black Man 🫅🏿
His name is Julio Pinedo, and he is the ceremonial King of the Afro Bolivian people.
Facts
Oftentimes when we talk about Kings and Queens as Black people, we speak of them in past tense and usually in the context of old African civilizations. However, what many don’t know is that the last King of the Americas is African, and he is still alive today. His name is Julio Pinedo, and he is the ceremonial King of the Afro Bolivian people.
Proof
Nestled in the heart of the lush, fog-covered landscapes of Mururata, in the Los Yungas region northwest of La Paz, Bolivia, resides a unique and humble monarch, Julio Pinedo. Julio Pinedo is known as the last King of the Americas, and he presides over the Afro-Bolivian community. His lineage traces back to a Congolese monarch brought to Bolivia as a slave in 1820, and he is the recognized descendant of this historic figure. In this remote region, far from the tumultuous affairs of the capital, Pinedo, along with his wife, Angélica Larrea, the Afro-Bolivian Queen, and their son, Rolando, the crown prince, leads a simple yet significant life.
Pinedo's royal residence is not adorned with grandeur or extravagance; instead, it serves as a humble grocery store on its ground floor, where everyday necessities like bananas, canned sardines, oil, and soft drinks are sold. In his daily life, there is no crown or cape, as these symbols are reserved for special occasions. Despite his royal lineage, Pinedo is deeply engaged in his community's well-being. He currently dedicates his time to building social housing in the area as part of a state program, working tirelessly from Monday through Saturday. This dedication to his people and their welfare is a testament to the man behind the title. Julio Pinedo's story reflects not only the resilience of his community, but also Bolivia's journey towards recognizing and acknowledging its Afro-Bolivian population.
His ancestors were forcibly brought to Bolivia to toil in the mines of Potosí, then later sold to hacienda owners in Los Yungas. The lineage of Pinedo's family's monarchy faced uncertainty for many years, but it was re-established in 1992, when Julio was officially recognized by his people. In 2007, the Government of La Paz reaffirmed his status, and with the new constitution two years later, Bolivians of African descent were recognized as one of the nation's 36 constituent ethnic groups. This recognition helped bolster Afro-Bolivian customs and traditions, including the revival of their ancestral Kingdom. While Julio Pinedo remains a ceremonial figure without political authority, his role is symbolic of the progress made in recognizing and preserving Afro-Bolivian culture.
However, he is not complacent and expresses his disappointment with the organization of his people. Although strides have been made, much work remains to ensure that Afro-Bolivians receive the same protection and opportunities as other ethnic groups in Bolivia. As of 2021, the Afro-Bolivian population was estimated at 26,000 in a country of over 10 million, indicating the ongoing challenges they face. Julio Pinedo, while proud of the strides made, remains pragmatic, acknowledging that racism and discrimination may never entirely disappear from Bolivia, where various ethnic groups share a complex and intertwined history.[1][2]
500 Amazing Facts about the Negro Series
Source
[1] Rodríguez, Andrés. “The Last King of the Americas.” EL PAÍS English, 14 Nov. 2016, english.elpais.com/elpais/2016/11/11/inenglish/1478859420_050367.html.
[2] Busqué, Jordi. “Bolivia’s Little-Known Tribal Kingdom.” BBC Travel, 25 Feb. 2022, www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210310-bolivias-little-known-tribal-kingdom.