New historical research published this week dives into the complex social fabric of colonial Caracas, focusing on the elite mantuano caste. This group, composed of the powerful Creole descendants of Spanish conquistadors, controlled the region's vast cocoa and coffee wealth and played a pivotal role in the eventual move toward independence. The research utilizes archival records from the late 1700s to map the influence of these families on the city's early urban planning and religious institutions.
The study highlights how the 'mantuano' identity was built on a rigid racial and economic hierarchy that persists as a subject of intense academic debate in modern Venezuela. By analyzing 'fabulated history' alongside legal documents, researchers aim to humanize the figures often found in the background of Simón Bolívar's biographies, providing a clearer picture of the tensions that led to the collapse of Spanish rule in South America.