"The role of people of African descent in the colonization of Latin America... is a pivotal one. Starting from the earliest Spanish activity in the New World, Africans were present both as involuntary settlers and as voluntary conquistadors. The acquisition of status and privilege by African officers... reflected the active role of leadership played by these men..."
January 1, 1970
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/History_of_Free_African_Diaspora