1791-Jun.: Municipal officials in Havana reported that their capacities were being severely stretched by the simultaneous challenges of rounding up fugitive …

1791-Jun.: Municipal officials in Havana reported that their capacities were being severely stretched by the simultaneous challenges of rounding up fugitive slaves and capturing deserters. The countryside was described as being “filled” with deserters, while the surrounding mountains sheltered bands of malefactors. By June 1792, the alcalde of Jaruco requested urgent government aid to suppress a wave of robberies and “scandals” perpetrated by area runaways. These reports illustrate the widespread breakdown of colonial authority in Cuba during the early years of the Haitian Revolution.