Welcome to Barlovento

On a cacao plantation in Barlovento, Venezuela, a banner hangs behind a pile of cacao seeds as they dry in the sun. The banner reads, in both Spanish and English, "Welcome to Barlovento. Land of high cultural level and Afro-Caribbean traditions." (Learn more)

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The Barlovento region is in the northern part of Venezuela, near the Caribbean Sea and the capital, Caracas. Barlovento is famous for its cacao, considered by many experts to be among the best in the world.

In the 17th century, Spanish colonists in Venezuela imported slaves from Africa to work on cacao plantations, many in the Barlovento region. The slaves worked under harsh conditions, producing wealth for the Spanish plantation owners who exported the crop to Europe. The large African population in Barlovento served as a safe haven for runaway slaves, and by the time slavery was abolished in the 1820s, a substantial community of free Afro-Venezuelans had been established in Barlovento. After liberation, many of these former slaves and their descendants continued to grow cacao in the region. In Barlovento, Afro-Venezuelan farmers continue to produce cacao today.

Learn more about Caribbean, South America, Venezuela, cacao, chocolate, farming, and slavery.