Panamanian town reckons with dark history of colonialism in Festival of Devils and Congos

PORTOBELO, Panama (AP) — Red bathed the tiny Panamanian municipality of Portobelo connected Saturday successful a solemnisation meant to correspond a combat betwixt bully and evil, and the absorption of slaves and Spanish colonizers.

Every year, hundreds successful the town, which sits wedged betwixt the Caribbean Sea and the region's tropical jungles, instrumentality to the streets for the Festival of Devils and Congos. The festival uses melodramatic imagery and agleam colors diagnostic of Caribbean celebrations to seizure the historical conflict betwixt slaves during the clip of colonization.

Marchers formal with intricate reddish and achromatic masks, which merges imagery of the devil and Spanish colonizers. Slaves are dressed successful colour and, protected by angles dressed successful white, pursuit the devils arsenic they dance, yet converting their oppressors to good.

It's the civilization of memory, the devil representing the civilization of the oppressor, oregon successful this case, the achromatic antheral during times of slavery toward the Blacks, known arsenic Congos, said 34-year-old Eduardo Guadalupe. He said helium celebrated successful a ample achromatic mask, with what appeared to beryllium reddish and achromatic dotted flames flaring retired of the apical and the sides.

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Associated Press newsman Megan Janetsky contributed to this study from Mexico City.