Two people carry an exhausted Manacillo, in Juntas, Buenaventura, Colombia. Tradition dictates that Manacillos cannot sleep for the first 48 hours of the festival; those who fall asleep are ritualistically whipped.
Juntas is an Afro-descendant community deep in the Colombian Pacific rainforest, accessible only by a ten-hour boat journey up the Yurumanguí River. Settled by descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the region in the 1700s, the community faces threats from illegal mining, logging, and armed conflict. Fiesta de los Manacillos is a traditional ritual enacted by the community during Holy Week activities that blends Catholicism with African spiritual traditions. More than just a celebration, the festival is a homecoming for a diaspora, representing a profound affirmation of cultural resilience.
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