During the 16th through the 19th centuries, an estimated 10 to 12.5 million enslaved people were brought to Latin America and the Caribbean by European colonizers. Many of them descended from African royal lineages or possessed deep knowledge in science, botany, agriculture, music, religion, and other ancestral wisdoms. Stripped of their freedom, they played a decisive role in building the social, cultural, political, and economic foundations of Latin America and the Caribbean. Today, there are few places in the region where Afro heritage has not left a profound mark. But how much do we really know about it? How much of this story is reflected in our history?

This is the starting point of Afro-America: The invisible history of Latin America, a multimedia special that travels across the continent — from the United States to Brazil, Colombia, and the Caribbean — while also venturing into less obvious places such as La Paz in Bolivia, Buenos Aires in Argentina, or Tepoztlán, south of Mexico City, in search of the stories of the more than 150 million Latin Americans and Caribbeans who identify as Afro-descendant. They make up more than 20% of the population, according to various statistics, and have shaped the countries of the region, yet their histories have traditionally been erased or reduced to stereotypes.

A team of journalists, editors, video reporters, photographers, illustrators, and writers has spent the past two years working on this special, which covers urgent and wide-ranging issues such as reparations for slavery, viewed not only from an economic standpoint; political inclusion, from the lobbying efforts of a group of Afro-Colombians on Capitol Hill in Washington to the powerful movement of Black Latin American women; the double discrimination Afro-Latinos have faced in the United States and the difficulty many have had in accepting themselves as such; and the enormous economic power of Afro-tourism in Salvador de Bahía, the “most African” capital in the Americas.

In addition, in the podcast La oralidad y los tambores (available only in Spanish), Panamanian communicator and singer Miroslava Herrera, from the cultural project Palenque Afrodisiaco, reflects on the importance of drums, music, and oral tradition in preserving Afro history and storytelling. In the video I’m from here, Mexican scholar Tanya Duarte, Argentine researcher Miriam Gomes, and Bolivian engineer Juan Carlos Ballivián share firsthand what it is like to live in countries not traditionally associated with Afro identity. And in the opinion column Serving without a master, Ecuadorian writer Yuliana Ortiz writes about how “from colonial times until today, Black bodies have been viewed as a labor force, not as subjects with full rights,” something she believes was made evident in the case of the four Afro-descendant children killed in her country—victims of a crime committed by members of the military. Serving without a master, Ortiz says, “means embracing practices of care and creation that don’t answer to state hierarchies or the market. It’s about serving the community — serving life — without being accountable to visible or invisible patterns”.

All the stories included in this project show that Afro communities continue striving to rebuild their history, preserve their memory, strengthen their visibility, reinforce their economies, and occupy spaces of political power from their own perspectives. All these goals fall within the framework of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent (2025–2034), through which the United Nations has called for continued efforts to promote justice, recognition, and development for these communities. It is, without a doubt, a difficult path in the most unequal region of the world.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, 10% of the population holds 77% of the wealth, and Afro-descendant and Indigenous communities face the greatest barriers to social and economic mobility. They are 2.5 times more likely to live in chronic poverty, demonstrating that race and identity remain determining factors in access to opportunities.

This raises key questions: how can we prevent Afro-descendant populations from being excluded once again from the futures being built? In a context of interconnected crises, where the digital divide is not only geographic but also socioeconomic and racial, if Afro-descendant communities are not included from the outset in this process of digitalization, they risk being left out of both the economy and political decision-making.

Reversing the systemic conditions that have caused poverty and exclusion is a major challenge. However, opportunities exist today: the rapid growth of educational attainment, the promotion of cultural and technological innovation and creativity, the expansion of businesses and economies led by Black people, the recognition of territorial and productive potential, and the strengthening of social, political, and community leadership within the Afro-descendant diaspora all suggest that transforming the historical equation of inequality is possible. Moreover, in several countries, Afro-descendant populations, along with other groups, make up a significant portion of the economically active population, reinforcing their strategic role in development. This is highlighted by a recent study on the Afro entrepreneurship ecosystem conducted by CAF and Feira Preta, which demonstrates how it is possible to generate income while celebrating Black memory and pride.

In a context marked by the growing leadership of Afro women in political and economic spheres, the development of ethnic economic assets such as Afro-tourism and entrepreneurship, and regulatory and institutional advances — including the reparations agenda in the Caribbean — the visibility of Afro presence is increasing. The path continues with a clear goal: achieving a new economic, social, technological, and political emancipation for Afro-descendant people in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In this sense, Afro-America presents itself as an urgent and ongoing conversation about envisioning a future in which everyone counts. From América Futura, the sustainable development section of EL PAÍS America, in partnership with CAF — the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean — we invite you to participate. We’re listening!

The Invisible History of Latin America is a special project by América Futura, a section of EL PAÍS America, in partnership with CAF — the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean — exploring Afro-descendant communities across the continent. And we also want to hear from you. We know that many families have hidden stories — will you share yours with us? americaesafro@gmail.com