Hatuey
Taíno chief who became Cuba's first national hero by resisting Spanish conquest.
Hatuey (died February 2, 1512) was a Taíno Cacique (chief) of the Hispaniolan cacicazgo of Guanaba, located in present-day La Gonave, Haiti. He lived from the late 15th into the early 16th century. Foreseeing the Spanish invasion of Cuba, he and roughly four hundred of his people fled Hispaniola by canoe to warn the Indigenous inhabitants of eastern Cuba about the arriving conquerors. Despite his warnings, most local Taíno chiefs did not join him, and only a small number fought alongside him. Hatuey then led a guerrilla campaign against the Spanish forces under Diego Velázquez, who had landed in what is now Guantánamo Province in 1511. His fighters managed to kill at least eight Spanish soldiers and temporarily confined the invaders. The Spanish eventually captured him by using mastiff dogs and torturing Indigenous people for information. On February 2, 1512, he was tied to a stake and burned alive at Yara, near present-day Bayamo. According to Bartolomé de Las Casas, before his execution a priest asked Hatuey if he would accept Jesus and go to heaven; the chief reportedly refused, preferring to avoid a place where Spaniards would be. Hatuey is celebrated as "Cuba's first national hero" and one of the earliest resisters of Spanish colonialism. His legacy endures in place names, a beer brand first brewed in Santiago de Cuba in 1927, a non-alcoholic malt beverage, a Dominican soda cracker, and the logo of the Cohiba cigar brand. His image has also appeared in film, opera, and visual art.
- born
- Late 15th century
- died
- February 2, 1512
- field
- Cacique (chief), resistance leader
- nationality
- Taíno (Hispaniolan cacicazgo of Guanaba)
- known_for
- Leading Indigenous resistance against Spanish conquest in Cuba; 'Cuba's first national hero'
Lore & Background
In 1511, Diego Velázquez set out from Hispaniola to present-day Guantánamo Province in Cuba to conquer the local Indigenous population. Hatuey fled Hispaniola with four hundred people in canoes and warned some Indigenous people in eastern Cuba about the Spaniards. He resorted to guerrilla tactics, killing at least eight Spanish soldiers, but was captured using mastiff dogs and torture. On February 2, 1512, he was tied to a stake and burned alive at Yara, near present-day Bayamo. Before his execution, a priest asked if he would accept Jesus and go to heaven. According to Bartolomé de Las Casas, Hatuey asked if Spaniards went to heaven; when told yes, he said he preferred hell so as not to be where they were.
Reader's Guide
Hatuey was a Taíno cacique, or chief, of the cacicazgo of Guanaba, located in what is now La Gonave, Haiti. He lived from the late 15th century into the early 16th. When Spanish forces under Diego Velázquez prepared to invade Cuba from Hispaniola in 1511, Hatuey and about four hundred of his people traveled by canoe to eastern Cuba ahead of them. His purpose was to warn the Indigenous inhabitants about the Spaniards’ intentions. According to the Spanish friar Bartolomé de Las Casas, Hatuey addressed the Taíno of Caobana by showing them a basket of gold and jewels, delivering a speech against Christianity. Most Cuban Taíno chiefs did not join him, but a small number did. Hatuey then employed guerrilla tactics against the Spanish, killing at least eight soldiers and temporarily confining the invaders. He was eventually captured after the Spanish used mastiff dogs and tortured Indigenous people for information. On February 2, 1512, he was tied to a stake and burned alive at Yara, near present-day Bayamo. Before his execution, a priest asked if he would accept Jesus and go to heaven. Las Casas recorded Hatuey’s reply: he preferred hell, to avoid meeting Spaniards again. Hatuey is celebrated as Cuba’s first national hero and a precursor of Cuban liberty. A monument in Yara depicts him bound to a tamarind tree, and a plaque there honors him as an unforgettable Indian who glorified his rebellion in martyrdom by flames. His image appears on the logo of the Cohiba cigar brand. A beer named Hatuey has been brewed in Santiago de Cuba since 1927, originally by the Compañia Ron Bacardi S.A. The chief also appears as a main character in the 2010 film *Even the Rain*, which includes a cinematic account of his execution.
Did You Know?
- Hatuey and his tribesmen traveled from present-day La Gonave by canoe to Cuba to warn Indigenous people about the Spaniards.
- Before his execution, Hatuey said he would rather go to hell than to heaven to avoid seeing cruel Spaniards.
- The beer brand Hatuey was initially produced by the native Cuban company Compañia Ron Bacardi S.A. starting in 1927.
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