Chuao: The Sacred Land of Venezuelan Cacao

During the 17th and 18th centuries, enslaved Africans were brought to Venezuela’s central coast to work on cacao plantations owned by Spanish colonizers and religious orders. Many slaves escaped from more accessible plantations, fleeing to remote places like the Chuao Valley—surrounded by mountains and connected to the sea only by a small beach.

This geographical isolation made Chuao an ideal refuge, as colonial forces found it difficult to send capture expeditions there.

At the time, Chuao already had small Criollo cacao plantations, tended partly by indigenous people who knew the land well. The escaped slaves and indigenous residents mixed, forming a unique Afro-indigenous community with its own way of life.

The people living there had significant autonomy. They worked the cacao, paid tribute in kind, and preserved their customs.

Slavery in Venezuela was officially abolished in 1854, but for Chuao, the transition was smoother than in other regions. The community was already organized and controlled its cacao production cooperatively.

For them, cacao was not only a means of survival—it was the foundation of their freedom. The value of cacao allowed them to trade for essentials like salt, tools, and clothing, without returning to systems of slavery or servitude.

Today, cacao remains at the heart of Chuao, a symbol of resilience, identity, and independence—a legacy born from struggle and nurtured by the land.