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Kings of Cacao: Venezuela's Corsican Transplants
| Article
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20940 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
Date : |
6 / 2000 |
2,653 Words |
| Author
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Mark Holston
Mark Holston writes about Latin American issues for Américas,
Seis Continentes, Hispanic, and other international
publications. The author wishes to thank InterContinental
Hotels in S‹o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro for their assistance in
making this report possible. |
The young Venezuelan from Caracas and the policeman on the beat in suburban Paris had more in common than one would expect: They were both of Corsican descent. The 3,369-square-mile island of 300,000, located in the Mediterranean midway between Nice and the Roman coast, has a history of producing figures of heroic stature--among them Napoléon Bonaparte--who have sought their fortune in far-flung corners of the world. Among the Corsican emigrants most envied by those remaining on the island (and in France) are the adventurous ones who set sail for the exotic north coast of South America, making a new life in the tropical paradise that would become Venezuela.
Indeed, the exploits and accomplishments of these emigrants have become the stuff of legend in Corsica. Stories of their triumph over adversity stir the islanders' pride. The intrepid newcomers are said to have hacked vast plantations out of forbidding rain forests, built well-organized towns with up-to-date amenities, and achieved great success in commerce, medicine, law, the military, and politics.
Los Corsos, as they are known in their adopted land, are relatively few in number, and several generations have passed since Venezuela's Corsican gene pool has been replenished by new immigration. Their contributions have not been forgotten, however. Venezuelans are reexamining the colorful history of these determined pioneers, who arrived almost two centuries ago.
The golden era of cacao
"When you speak of cacao in Venezuela, you are speaking of the Corsos," comments Carlos Viso Carpintero, a university
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