Afro-Paraguayan are Paraguayans of African descent. They can be found Camba Cua outside Asuncion; Kamba Kokue outside of Paraguari, and the city of Emboscada.
The first slaves to Paraguay arrived in the 1520s. They were mainly used on cattle ranches, agriculture farms, and as domestics. Paraguay unlike other South American countries did not have a lot resource to exploit, so the slave importation was small. Indians were an adequate work force. African slaves would later be used for iron smelting and road construction. Most slaves came from the Angola region.
The black population increased by local mating and mixing. By the 1570s, Paraguay had about 3,000 mulattoes and mestizos. By 1650, the black population was counted at 15,000, an increase. In 1782, there was a decline to 10,840.
Paraguay developed a system called the Amparo. Free slaves who could not pay tribute to the state would be placed under the government or religious order to work designated lands. The Amparo was being in a slave-like status. Religious orders like the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits founded Amparo towns like Areguá and Tabapí. Some Amparo were founded for military purpose. Towns were founded to mark off Paraguayan boundaries and served as a buffer of attacks, from Indians and neighboring states. The town of Emboscada was an amparo founded for military purpose.[1]
The end of slavery was a gradual process. In 1842, Free Womb Laws were enacted which would free the children of slaves, but slavery and the Amparo system still continued. It wasn't until the War of Triple Alliance in 1864 did the country end slavery. Slaves and free Afro-Paraguayans were used for soldiers. In 1869, all slaves were declared free. About 33.3% of the population was killed in the war including most Afro-Paraguayans.
After emancipation, records on black Paraguayans become contradictory. One source said the population vanished in the melting pot of Paraguay. Other sources say, they were thriving in the 20th century. The 1925 census reported a population of 10,000 to 31,500. In 1990, the population was reported at 156,000. The Joshua project report the population at 65,000. Afro-Paraguayans have not been studied extensively. Data remain skeptical and scarce.
The removal of the Afro-Paraguayans community of Camba Cua from their traditional farming land has brought much recognition of the plight of black Paraguayans.
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