Julio Pinedo

Contents

Don Julio Bonifaz Pinedo y Pinedo (born 19 February 1942) is the ceremonial king of the Afro-Bolivian community of the Nor Yungas province,[1] crowned in 1992, forty years after the death of the previous king, his grandfather Bonifacio Pinedo.[2] His coronation took place during a Catholic ceremony in the chapel at the hacienda of the Marquis de Pinedo.[3]

Early life

Julio was born on 19 February 1942 in Mururata to Prince Genaro Pinedo and Princess Aurora Pinedo. He is a descendent of Uchicho, an African prince who was enslaved by the Spanish and brought to Bolivia, where he was later appointed as the first Afro-Bolivian king. At the time of his birth, his maternal grandfather Bonifacio Pinedo, reigned as the King of the Afro-Bolivians. Following his grandfather's death in 1954, Julio's mother became Princess Regent, until he was old enough to succeed the title.

Reign

He was crowned by the Afro-Bolivians as King Julio I on 18 April 1992, during a Catholic coronation ceremony at the chapel of the hacienda of the Marquis de Pinedo. His position as King of the Afro-Bolivians gained official recognition from the Bolivian government in 2007, when he was officially installed by the prefect of La Paz.[4][5]

As king, he is the sovereign and Grand Master of the Royal Order of Merit of Prince Uchicho.[6] He appointed Bishop Juan Vargas Aruquipa, Prince Alexander David Ssimbwa of Buganda, Prince Daudi Kintu Wasajja of Buganda, Katikkiro John Baptist Walusimbi of Buganda, Miguel Dongil y Sánchez, and Francisco Manuel de las Heras y Borrero to the order.[6]

In 2016, he went on a royal tour to Senegal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.[7]

In 2019, Julio was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of Omukama Chwa II Kabalega by King Solomon Iguru I of Bunyoro.[8]

Marriage and family life

Julio married Angélica Larrea in 1976. He and Angélica have no biological children,[9] but adopted his nephew and heir, Prince Rolando.[10]

He is Catholic and, when not performing royal duties, works as a farmer and shop owner in Mururata.[11][12]

Honours

  • Grand Master of the Royal Order of Merit of Prince Uchicho
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of Omukama Chwa II Kabalega

References

  1. 1.Levinson, David (1996). Encyclopedia of World Cultures: South America. G. K. Hall. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-8168-8840-5.
  2. 2.Walker, Sheila S. (2001). Africa roots/American cultures: Africa in the creation of the Americas. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 320. ISBN 978-0-7425-0165-2.
  3. 3."Le roi Julio Pinedo : Le dernier roi d'Amérique". 21 March 2021.
  4. 4.Tayac, Gabrielle (2009). IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas. Smithsonian Institution. p. 199. ISBN 978-1-58834-271-3.
  5. 5."Bolivia ya tiene su rey negro". BBC Mundo. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  6. 6.[6.2]"Real Orden del Mérito". Afro-Bolivian Royal House. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  7. 7.Blair, Laurence (6 December 2017). "Bolivia's Afro king leads a long-neglected group stepping out of the shadows". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  8. 8.https://casarealafroboliviana.org/noticias.html
  9. 9."Crowning Afro-descendant Memory and Visibility in an Indian/Mestizo Country on JSTOR". No. 127, Afro-Latin America Rising (2019).
  10. 10."African royal's heirs live on in Bolivia - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. December 22, 2014.
  11. 11."El último rey de América". La Nacion. Buenos Aires, Argentina. 10 March 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  12. 12.Busqué, Jordi (11 March 2021). "Bolivia's little-known tribal kingdom". BBC. Retrieved 25 February 2026.