Who are our African Descendants in Ecuador?

Image: Young Afro-Ecuadorian girls.

Credit: Trip Down Memory Lane.

Afro-Ecuadorians are an ethnic group in Ecuador who are descendants of black African slaves brought by the Spanish during their conquest of Ecuador from the Incas. They make up from 3% to 5% of Ecuador's population. Ecuador has a population of about 1,120,000 descendants from African people.

The Afro-Ecuadorian culture is found primarily in the country's northwest coastal region. Africans form a majority (70%) in the province of Esmeraldas and the Valle del Chota in the Imbabura Province. They can be also found in Quito and Guayaquil. Their best known cultural influence known outside of Ecuador is a distinctive kind of marimba music.

Image: Afro-Ecuadorians.

Credit: Trip Down Memory Lane.

Like in many parts of the world where racism exists, Afro-Ecuadorians face daily racism in their country. However, desspite the advent of colonialism and having to endure constant discrimination by the dominant mestizo and criollo populations, Afro Ecuadorians have managed to maintain a distinct identity, deeply embedded with their African culture and traditions for nearly four and a half centuries. Unlike the Garifuna who strongly associates with and maintains a rather equal identification with both their African and Carib/indigenous ancestry, Afro Ecuadorians are descendants of Black slaves who overpowered and intermarried with the local indigenous population. However, due to deeply-rooted racism, they have been unable to integrate with the larger Ecuadorian society and as a result, have chosen to create and maintain a strong association with their Black/African ancestry.

The above text was culled from Trip Down Memory Lane.

As reported in Nigerian media on 20 June 2018, Ecuadorian Ambassador to Nigeria in West Africa, Ambassador Deopoldo Rovayo, announced in the capital city of Abuja that Ecuador and Nigeria have agreed to sign a visa free agreement.

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