The Escribano of Babel: Power, Exile, and Enslavement in the Venezuelan Llanos During the War of Independence (1806–1833)
Ana Joanna Vergara Sierra
Abstract:This article traces the professional life of Rafael Almarza, the last royal escribano (notary) of Mérida in the captaincy of Venezuela, and his role in undermining monarchical authority among the enslaved community displaced in the plains region (Los Llanos) during the war of independence in 1814-18. Despite their status as minor officials within the Spanish imperial bureaucracy, notaries, through the records they made, helped to establish legally binding truths underlying everyday actions, making them influen… Show more
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