1791: A conservative estimate placed the number of people who had escaped slavery living and operating in the vast plains surrounding Caracas at approximatel

1791: A conservative estimate placed the number of people who had escaped slavery living and operating in the vast plains surrounding Caracas at approximately three hundred. This fugitive population included individuals who had fled from nearby plantations as well as workers who had escaped from the city itself. The number of people who had escaped in the region continued to climb rapidly over the following decade as regional unrest intensified. The existence of these bands posed a constant challenge to the municipal officials’ ability to maintain social order.