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Cape Verde, the island nation with a rich Sephardic heritage and a player with probable Jewish ancestry.

Cape Verde, an island nation of roughly 530,000 people off the coast of Africa, shocked football fans worldwide by holding Spain scoreless in their World Cup opener this week. But Carol Castiel saw it coming.

For nearly four decades, Castiel has dedicated himself to documenting and preserving the rich but little-known Sephardic heritage of the island nation. And although there are currently no known practicing Jews in Cape Verde, Castiel affirms that the connection to Jewish identity endures in the country and in its football team.

According to her, the proof was in the team's first result.

Cape Verde's solid defense, led by seven saves from 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, kept a clean sheet against the second-best team in the world according to FIFA, a country whose GDP is 600 times greater than theirs. Cape Verde, ranked 67th, was unfazed by Spain's constant shots on goal. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

"Faced with difficulties, they keep going and find a way," said Castiel. "They are the underdogs."

But there was also a Jewish genealogical connection in the Cape Verde lineup: the surname of substitute striker Gilson Benchimol dates back some 150 years to Sephardic Jews on the island.

The biggest surprise of the 2026 World Cup to date has put the spotlight on the ten-island archipelago located about 560 kilometers west of Senegal. Castiel, an American Jew and former journalist who is in the process of obtaining Cape Verdean citizenship, also hopes this will draw attention to her work preserving Jewish heritage in the region.

The Jewish roots of an island nation

Jewish life in Cape Verde dates back to the 16th century, when the Portuguese Inquisition caused Jewish conversos to Christianity—then known as "New Christians"—to emigrate en masse from the Iberian Peninsula. (The Portuguese Inquisition began a couple of decades after the Spanish Inquisition.)

The islands were far from the center of the Inquisition, which perhaps allowed some exiles to secretly resume practicing Judaism. They also offered the New Christians the opportunity to explore commercial opportunities in international trade. However, these New Christians lived under surveillance even in Cape Verde, and one of the islands housed a Jewish ghetto in the 16th century.

That first wave of migrants eventually assimilated through marriage or emigration, and the Jewish presence in the archipelago virtually disappeared. Some historians suggest that surnames on the island related to trees and animals, such as Carvalho (oak) or Pinto (chick), hint at a possible Jewish ancestry. (Some Sephardic Jews and conversos adopted or were assigned surnames during the Inquisition.)

Cape Verde once again became a popular destination for Jews in the second half of the 19th century, following the end of the Inquisition. The territory remained a Portuguese colony with strong control over transatlantic trade, and Jewish emigrants—many from Tetouan, a city in northern Morocco—prospered in agriculture and international shipping.

“They were fundamental to the economy in those times,” Castiel said.

Some of the main exports of that era, such as coffee and rum, are still produced today. (The islands were also a center of the slave trade, and historians believe that some of the slave traders were New Christians.)

Few in number and mostly male, the Jewish immigrants of the last wave also married outside their religion, Castiel explained, and their descendants are Catholic today. However, their Jewish surnames remain common in the islands. Castiel stated that names like Cohen and Levy, as well as variations of common Sephardic surnames like Ohayon and Benchimol, demonstrate that “Jewish blood runs through the veins of many people there.”

Castiel stated that she does not believe Benchimol, a member of the national team and a professional player for the Russian club Akron Tolyatti, identifies as Jewish. (The Forward has contacted the player for comment.)

Although Cape Verdeans with common Jewish surnames do not usually identify as Jewish, many proudly accept their Jewish ancestry.

One of them is José Levy. His great-grandfather, Fortunato Levy, emigrated from Morocco in the late 19th century and founded a shipping company between the islands. His father worked for the Portuguese government until Cape Verde gained independence in 1975.

Levy, who worked for the United Nations before recently retiring, noted that many Jewish families in Cape Verde returned to Portugal after secession and independence. However, to this day, many of his friends in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, where he lives, still have Jewish surnames.

“Neither my father nor I had any direct contact with the Jewish religion,” Levy, 68, said in an interview. “But our grandparents and great-grandparents were proud Jews and contributed enormously to what Cape Verde is today.”

Historical Reserve

There are no known synagogues on the islands, not even historical ones, and Cape Verde is one of the few places in the world without a Chabad center. However, there are at least four small Jewish cemeteries scattered across three islands, according to Castiel. Inspired by Moroccan cemeteries, each features horizontal white headstones with inscriptions in Hebrew and Portuguese; but they were overgrown, eroded, or in disrepair when Castiel first visited them.

“In Judaism, the most important thing is to create cemeteries for souls to rest,” Castiel said. “In that sense, these Jews did. They just couldn’t maintain it.”

The nonprofit organization he founded in 2007, the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project, aims to restore the sites and expand the documentation of Jewish life on the island through research, oral history, and tourism. In 2018, the organization installed a series of plaques to commemorate the 19th-century Jewish settlers buried in the cemeteries.

According to Castiel, the nonprofit organization's main funder is King Mohammed VI of Morocco, whose efforts to preserve Jewish historical heritage in Morocco—the ancestral homeland of many Cape Verdean immigrants—are widely documented. Levy serves on the board of directors.

“We kept the surname, but the religion wasn’t passed down, so we’re Catholic,” Levy said. “But we’re very proud of our Jewish ancestors.”

Article redacted and published by Louis Keene

Source: Forward | June 18, 2026
Free translation from eSefarad.com

Mordechay de Salomon Levy (Mordy) Maduro (born September 12, 1921 in New York, America, and died March 23, 1982 in Corsica, France) was an Antillean businessman and sports leader.

He was president of the Curaçao Football Federation (CVB) and the Netherlands Antilles Football Union (NAVU), and also served as a FIFA vice-president.

Maduro played a significant role in the development and internationalization of football in Corsica and the Netherlands Antilles.

Between 1946 and 1970, football was the most popular sport on the island, and thanks to Mordy's financial support, many local teams competed internationally. His efforts contributed to the Netherlands Antilles national football team's participation in several Olympic Games.

Mordy Maduro was born in New York City to a Sephardic Jewish family. His parents were Solomon Mordechay Levy Maduro (1881–1938) and Rebecca Levy Maduro. At a young age, he moved to Corsou, where he grew up and began working in 1937 at the family business, S.L.E. Maduro & Sons. He rose to the position of director and later became a member of the company's board of directors. He also served on the board of directors of Maduro & Curiel Bank. Maduro died unexpectedly on March 23, 1982, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Otrobanda, New York, at the age of 60.

Football Career:
Local and Regional Development

Mordy Maduro was the driving force behind the development of football in Corsica after World War II.

Between 1946 and 1970, football became the most popular sport on the island, and Maduro's financial and organizational support enabled many local clubs to compete internationally.

He was president of the CVB (now FFK) from 1951, and then president of the NAVU between 1958 and 1971.

Under his leadership:

The Corsican national team participated in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.
Corsica has hosted and organized numerous international clubs.

Local football is a professional and organized sport.

A historic moment took place on June 16, 1946, when a Corsican team won 4-0 against Feyenoord at the Stadion Rif, an event that remains part of the island's collective sporting memory.

International influence

Maduro's influence extended far beyond the Caribbean region. In 1954, he was appointed to FIFA's executive committee, becoming the first Corsican and Antillean to serve on the board of directors of a global organization. In 1960, he became FIFA's vice-president and was re-elected to the position in 1968. In this role, he fostered relations between Caribbean and European football and facilitated visits by European and Latin American clubs to the Dutch Caribbean. He also contributed to the organization of international tournaments. He served on several organizing committees for the 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1962 FIFA World Cup. In 1974, Maduro was named an honorary member of FIFA, the first person of Dutch nationality to receive this honor for his contributions to world sport.

Other sporting activities

In addition to football, Maduro was actively involved in other sporting organizations. He served as:

- President of the Hungarian Anti-Olympic Olympic Committee (NAOC, 1954-1972).

- Member and treasurer of ODECABE, a sports organization for the Caribbean and Central America.

- Co-founder of the Stichting Koninkrijks Sportliga, responsible for organizing the Kingdom's Games.

He has received the title of honorary president from several of these organizations.

Recognition and legacy

Mordy Maduro is considered a pioneer of football in Corsica and a key figure in the sport of the Dutch Caribbean.

Among his many accolades were his appointment as an honorary member of FIFA (1974) and the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), and his posthumous recognition from NAVU.

In 1985, he was one of the first members inducted into the Corsou Hall of Fame.

In 2002, NAVU's development center was named in his honor, reflecting his lasting impact on football on the island.

His legacy lives on in the development of football in Corsica and in the island's presence on the world sporting stage. His work demonstrated how a small island like Corsica can have a global influence on sport. He succeeded in connecting the Caribbean with the world of international football and laid the foundations for the subsequent successes of the Corsican national team.

The World Cup draw took place at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. In the photo, Mr. SL Mordy Maduro (left), Curaçao's representative on the World Cup Organizing Committee, draws the slips of paper from a glass covered with a towel. Also present at the table are Helmut Kaeser, FIFA Secretary General; Sir Stanley Rous, FIFA President; Harry H Cavan, Northern Ireland's representative on the Organizing Committee; and the Earl of Harewood.

Various sources: Wikipedia, Facebook of the Mongui Maduro Historic House Museum, Nederlands Antilliaans Olympisch Committee and others.

The Jesuit Reductions, or Missions, were settlements for Indians established by the Jesuit order, founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in lands conquered by Portugal and Spain. Their aim was to safeguard Indigenous identity as individuals and subjects of the Crown. The reductions themselves were not originally conceived by the Jesuits, but by the Franciscans. However, the Jesuits contributed a profound sensitivity to many aspects of Indigenous culture and identity, which they worked to defend and perpetuate, making them central to the concept of the reductions.

The reductions were veritable "civilized" towns that organized their subsistence (agriculture, livestock farming, and clothing production), their social organization (town council, magistrate, mayors, judges, etc.), and their cultural structure (education, architecture, sculpture, music, and even science), as well as their spirituality. These Indians, considered savage by the conquerors, received the faith through the missionaries.

The reductions were veritable "civilized" communities that organized their own subsistence (agriculture, livestock farming, and clothing production), their social organization (town council, corregidor, mayors, judges, etc.), and their cultural structure (education, architecture, sculpture, music, and even science). Their greatest success was seen in the conquered lands of South America, especially with the Guarani people in Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.

Source(s):

.- "Misiones Jesuíticas de los Guaraníes". From caminodelosjesuitas.com

.- "Expulsión y exilio de los jesuitas de los dominios de Carlos III". From cervantesvirtual.com

.- "Las Reducciones Jesuíticas: Testimonio de Amor Cristiano y Evangelización" (1997). From Corazones.org

"By 1872 [the year the Cape Colony was given responsible government] it was therefore clear that Britain would grant 'responsible government' to any colony which had sufficient Europeans to run it, and was financially self-sufficient: large non-European populations without the franchise were no bar. These principles survived until 1923 when they were applied for the last time to Southern Rhodesia..."

“Oh, the Spanish, they belong to NATO. But they’re not very good members. They say:

‘No, we don’t want to help others.’

What are we doing? Huh?

They’re not behaving well. But they’ll learn soon enough. Just as soon as when they gave up Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico, and they ended up being all ours. We took them all.” (Donald Trump, 2026)

In the cultural history of Cuba, there are figures whose contributions have remained discreetly in the background, despite having produced works of extraordinary significance. One of them is Marco Pitchón, an intellectual, community leader, and descendant of Sephardic Jews, who spearheaded one of the most notable international tributes dedicated to José Martí, the Apostle of Cuban independence and one of the most influential figures in Hispanic American thought, through the publication of the book José Martí and Human Understanding 1853-1953.

The work is much more than a collection of texts. It is a testament to the efforts of a man born in Turkey, heir to the Sephardic tradition, who found a homeland in Cuba and in José Martí a human ideal capable of uniting cultures, religions, and nations.

Marco Pitchón was born in Izmir, Turkey, on February 13, 1895, into a family descended from the Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 according to the Alhambra Decree. Like many members of that diaspora, he preserved Judeo-Spanish, in addition to being fluent in French, which allowed him to grow up within a tradition deeply linked to Hispanic culture.

After living in Switzerland and France, he emigrated to Cuba in the 1920s. On the island, he carried out extensive organizational work within the Jewish community, promoting the unity of Hebrew institutions and founding the Bene Berith Maimónides branch in 1943, an organization through which he developed numerous cultural and charitable projects. He was also a prominent Freemason and promoted significant book donations to Cuban institutions, convinced that culture should be the heritage of all.

But one of his greatest passions was José Martí. In the prologue to the volume, entitled “La fama póstuma de José Martí”and written by the prominent Cuban intellectual Fernando Ortiz, the universal dimension of Martí's thought and his capacity for dialogue between cultures are emphasized.

A Tribute Born in Havana for the Five Continents

To commemorate the centenary of Martí's birth in 1953, the Bene Berith Maimónides initially decided to compile a selection of the Maestro's thoughts for distribution among similar institutions in various countries.

However, the project expanded. Marco Pitchón conceived the idea of ​​soliciting tributes from prominent figures abroad for inclusion in the volume. This initiative, which began with a few letters, evolved into an extraordinary international correspondence that lasted three years.

The result was astonishing: 240 messages arrived from 83 countries, making the book one of the most significant expressions of global recognition for José Martí during the 1950s.

The call for contributions brought together an extraordinary diversity of voices. Heads of state, ministers, members of parliament and other high-ranking national officials, municipal executives, judges, university rectors and professors, religious authorities, cultural and academic institutions, political figures, writers, scientists, and journalists responded, demonstrating the international prestige achieved by the initiative conceived and coordinated in Havana.

The pages of the publication reflect the geographical breadth of this call for participation. Representatives from virtually all of the Americas responded, from Argentina to Canada, including Mexico, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and the United States.

Europe was also well represented with messages from Spain, France, England, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, and the then Soviet Union, among other countries.

Contributions from Africa came from Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, Sudan, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, and South Africa.

Asia responded equally to the call with messages sent from Israel, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, and Thailand.

Even Oceania was represented through contributions from Australia and New Zealand.

Beyond the number of countries, it is significant that many responses came from the highest echelons of political power, academia, cultural and religious institutions, and the international press. This demonstrates that the initiative launched by Marco Pitchón transcended traditional Martí circles and achieved a truly global dimension.

A Sephardic Jew's Universal Perspective

Marco Pitchón's trajectory helps us understand the international scope of the project he championed. For centuries, Sephardic Jews maintained cultural and commercial networks spread across Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East, while preserving their language and traditions. Having grown up in this cosmopolitan environment, Pitchón brought this openness to the world to his intellectual work in Cuba.

He understood that José Martí should not be presented solely as the "national hero of Cuba," but as a universal thinker whose ideals could resonate with men and women of any religion, nationality, or culture.

His own biography was proof of this: born in Turkey, a descendant of Sephardic Spaniards, educated in Europe, settled in Cuba, and connected to international institutions such as Bene Berith, he embodied several identities that found a point of convergence in Martí.

More than a compiler, Marco Pitchón played the role of a true cultural mediator. From an institution within the Cuban Jewish community, an initiative was launched that brought together leaders, diplomats, universities, academies, intellectuals, and organizations from all five continents to celebrate José Martí. The project is a remarkable example of cultural diplomacy driven by civil society, where a Jewish association in Havana became the meeting point for a global tribute.

A Little-Known Legacy

José Martí y la comprensión humana 1853-1953 is an exceptional documentary source for studying the international reach of Martí's thought during the 20th century. It also represents the legacy of Marco Pitchón, whose vision made it possible to organize, from Cuba, one of the most comprehensive tributes ever dedicated to the Cuban Apostle.

His Sephardic heritage was not merely an anecdotal element of his biography. It formed part of an identity open to dialogue between cultures, respect for diversity, and the defense of human dignity—principles he recognized in José Martí and which he sought to project to the world.

Thanks to the initiative of this Sephardic immigrant who became Cuban by choice, José Martí received recognition from 240 individuals and institutions from 83 countries, confirming that his thought belonged not only to Cuba, but to all of humanity.

Today, more than seven decades after that extraordinary publishing undertaking, the figure of Marco Pitchón deserves to be remembered not only as a leader of the Cuban Jewish community, but also as one of the great international promoters of Martí's ideals. His work demonstrates that human understanding, the value that gave its title to the volume he conceived, can become a bridge between different peoples, cultures, and creeds—precisely the ideal that José Martí envisioned for the world.

Article redacted and published by Arnaldo Alfredo Delgado Fernández from eSefarad: Noticias del Mundo Sefardí

Photograph by Claudia Paparelli

Dominating the island's only natural harbor and the Paraguaçu River inlet, the gateway to the Recôncavo region, its oldest fortification dates back to 1631, according to a drawing attributed to the engineer Paulo Nunes Tinoco.

In the context of the second of the Dutch Invasions of Brazil (1630-1654), during the fourth attempt to conquer Salvador in February 1647, the Dutch, commanded by Sigismund van Schkoppe, occupied and rebuilt it in the shape of an irregular quadrangular polygon, supported by four redoubts, using it as the center of operations against Salvador and the Recôncavo region of Bahia. These fortifications withstood the assault of Portuguese forces commanded by Francisco Rebelo in August 1647, and were destroyed when the invaders retreated to Recife in January 1648, evacuating the island of Itaparica.

The current fortification, built of stone and lime masonry over the remains of the old fort, dates back to 1711, under the General Government of D. Lourenço de Almada (1710-1711) (SOUZA, 1885:96), in whose honor it was placed under the invocation of Saint Lawrence (Fort of São Lourenço). By order of the Viceroy D. Pedro Antônio de Noronha Albuquerque e Souza (1714-1718), while still under construction, Antônio Gonçalves da Rocha was appointed Captain of the fortification, who, upon assuming the position, undertook to finance the reconstruction works, adhering to the original plan.

The site of resistance by the Portuguese Army during the Brazilian War of Independence (1822-1823), it was conquered in January 1823 by the independent forces of Captain Antônio de Souza Lima with cannons brought from the Morro de São Paulo Fortress. Owned by the Union, the property has been listed as a national historical and artistic heritage site since 1938.

“Whereas many of our subjects in various parts of our Colonies and Plantations in North America, being misled by dangerous and malevolent men, and forgetting the allegiance they owe to the Power that has protected and supported them; after various disorderly acts committed in disturbance of the public peace, for the obstruction of lawful commerce, and for the oppression of our loyal subjects who carry it on; have finally proceeded to openly declare themselves insurgents, organizing themselves in a hostile manner, resisting the execution of the law, and treacherously preparing, ordering, and declaring war against us: And whereas there is cause to fear that the said rebellion has been greatly promoted and encouraged by the treacherous correspondence, advice, and support of various wicked and desperate persons within this Kingdom: Therefore, lest any of our subjects neglect or violate their duty through ignorance of the same, or for any doubt whatsoever as to the protection which the law will afford to their loyalty and zeal, we have thought it expedient, with the advice of our Privy Council, to issue our Royal Proclamation, whereby we declare that not only are all our officers, civil and military, bound to use their utmost efforts to suppress the said rebellion and bring the traitors to justice, but all our subjects of this Kingdom and the dominions belonging thereto are bound by law to aid and abet in the suppression of the said rebellion and to reveal and make known all treasonous plots and attempts against us, our crown, and our dignity; and accordingly we do strictly order and command all our officers, both civil and military, and all other obedient and loyal subjects, to do their utmost to resist and suppress the said rebellion, and to reveal and make known all treasonous plots and conspiracies which they know to be against us, our crown, and our dignity; and for that for the purpose of transmitting to one of our principal secretaries of state, or other competent officer, due and complete information on all persons who are corresponding with, or aiding or abetting in any manner or degree, those persons who are now under arms and in open rebellion against our government, within any of our colonies and plantations in North America, in order to bring to deserved punishment the authors, perpetrators, and instigators of such treacherous designs.

Given at our Court of Saint James on the twenty-third day of August, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, in the fifteenth year of our reign.”

A fundamental aspect for understanding the first republican and independence movements in Brazil is the history of how the independence of the thirteen colonies in North America, which formed the United States, influenced the Brazilian elites through the dissemination of republican ideals, in a diplomatic effort by the new nation that emerged to consolidate itself on the world stage.

The political ideology, basically the monarchical principle versus the republican principle, appeared as a disconcerting and divisive problem in the context of diplomacy. The first minister of the United States sent to Rio de Janeiro criticized the administration of the government under the monarchical system and on one occasion insulted the Portuguese royalty. Ideological friction increased during the Pernambuco revolt of 1817. This republican revolt, attracting considerable support in the United States, contributed to tense relations between the Portuguese regency and the government in Washington when the American consul in Recife, Joseph Ray, publicly supported the Pernambuco revolutionaries who sought independence and secession from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and the creation of a Republic in the Northeast, modeled after the United States of America.

Ray opened his home to rebel leaders such as Antônio Gonçalves da Cruz “Cabugá”, who later traveled to the USA as a representative of the revolution. During the three months of the Republic of Pernambuco's existence, Cabugá acquired weapons and ammunition in the United States and sent them to Brazil. The Norfolk Herald Office newspaper reported on the revolution's progress and objectives. With the headline "Highly important! Revolution in Brazil!", the article reported that the movement had begun after a disagreement between military officers. He emphasized that when a colonel attempted to imprison the guilty parties, some officers resisted, and in the meantime, the governor's cabinet officer was killed, generating setbacks that fueled the rebellion that took to the streets.

This news had repercussions and would be reproduced in the National Intelligencer of April 29, in the Georgetown Messenger of May 2, and in the Boston Patriot of May 17. The merchant Charles Bowen, one of the financiers of the Revolution, made commitments with the authorities in Washington, and in Baltimore he bought weapons and ammunition from the Vankass & Brune and Thomas Tennat & Co. stores. This war material was dispatched to Pernambuco in two ships, which set sail on May 6 and 7, 1817.

The cartoon was apparently prompted by a speech Mussolini gave on February 23, 1941, in which he admitted defeats and the "dark days" but anticipated future victory: "Think of the Punic Wars when the Battle of Cannae threatened to crush Rome. But at Zama, Rome destroyed Carthage and annihilated it from geography and history forever. Our capacity to recover in the moral and material realms is truly formidable and constitutes one of the peculiar characteristics of our race."

Following the arrival of the British in Australia in 1788, the British Crown applied the doctrine of Terra Nullius ("no man's land"), arguing that the territory did not legally belong to any organized people. This interpretation ignored the fact that Aborigine peoples had inhabited the continent for over 60,000 years, with their respective social, cultural, and land management systems.

As a consequence, colonial expansion led to the dispossession of lands, the displacement of numerous communities, and the implementation of assimilation policies that profoundly affected Aborigine peoples during the 19th and 20th centuries. It was not until February 13, 2008, that the Australian Government, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, issued a National Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, specifically acknowledging the harm caused by the policies that gave rise to the Stolen Generations.

Bibliography:

.- National Museum of Australia. (2008). National Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples.

.- Reynolds, H. (1987). The Law of the Land. Penguin Books.

.- Rudd, K. (2008). Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples. Parliament of Australia.

When Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg was invited to Mexico to become its sovereign, he was primarily supported by sectors of the conservative elite, who desired a monarchical government to counter the liberals. Maximilian was seen as someone who, being European and coming from an imperial family, could attract international support and create an order that conservatives considered “more civilized.”

However, things did not go as planned. As Maximilian ruled, he adopted a series of policies that were not well received by these groups within the Mexican conservative elite. First, his focus on social and economic issues, such as his willingness to implement reforms favoring the rights of Indians, education, and property ownership, generated tensions with the conservatives, who favored a more hierarchical and unequal social structure. Maximilian showed a greater inclination to govern for all the Mexican people, not just for the interests of the Mexican elite, which led many of his early supporters to feel betrayed.

It is known that many of the conservatives who supported the imperial project had a very mistaken idea regarding what the establishment of the empire in Mexico would entail, as they thought that the monarch would protect his interests and completely oppose the policies of Benito Juárez, which did not happen with Maximilian.

"You and your wife, Doña Carlota, have come to these distant and unknown lands obeying only the spontaneous call of the Nation, which places in you the happiness of its future. I truly admire your generosity, but on the other hand, I was greatly surprised to find the phrase 'spontaneous call' in your letter, for I had already seen that when the traitors of my country presented themselves in Miramar to offer you the Crown of Mexico with the support of nine or ten towns of the Nation, you saw in all this a ridiculous farce unworthy of being considered by an honest and honorable man." (Benito Juárez; New York Herald, 1864)

Thus, the hatred of the conservative elite toward Maximilian was a consequence of their frustration with the lack of expected results and the conflict between his policies and the interests of this elite. The frustration of the Mexican elite reached such a level that after the fall of the empire and the death of the Emperor of Mexico, they began to defame, attack and slander the archduke whom they themselves had brought, forging a Black Legend around his figure.

Argentina and Cape Verde will face off this Friday in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

Although more than 6,600 kilometers separate the two countries, a historical and spiritual bond has united them for almost four centuries: the figure of Negrito Manuel, a slave born in what is now Cape Verde who dedicated his life to caring for Our Lady of Luján, patron saint of Argentina.

The story dates back to 1630, when an image of the Immaculate Conception, traveling from Brazil to Santiago del Estero, miraculously stopped on the banks of the Luján River. The oxen pulling the cart only resumed their journey after removing one of the crates they were carrying. Upon opening it, they discovered the image of the Virgin, interpreting it as Mary having chosen to remain in that place. Thus began the devotion to Our Lady of Luján.

Among the witnesses to the miracle was Manuel Costa de los Ríos, known as Negrito Manuel, who had arrived in the Río de la Plata region as a slave from Brazil, although he was originally from Cape Verde. His master entrusted him with guarding the image, a mission he undertook with profound devotion for more than five decades.

Manuel received pilgrims, recounted the miracle, and attended to the sick. When the image was moved to Ana de Matos's estate—where the Basilica of Luján stands today—she also paid for Manuel so that he could remain with the Virgin. In the purchase documents, he was registered as the property of Our Lady of Luján, which is why he used to say, "I belong only to the Virgin."

He died in 1686 and is now a Servant of God, with a cause for canonization underway. His remains rest a few meters from the Basilica of Luján, reminding us that, long before Argentina and Cape Verde crossed paths on a field, they were already united by a history of faith, service and love for the Virgin.

Original: «Y ansi los yndios que alli están escondidos fueron parte de las Diez Tribus de los Israelitas».

— Aharon Levi, 1652.

Translation: "And so the Indians who are hidden there were part of the Ten Tribes of the Israelites."

— Aharon Levi, 1652.

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Original: «vieron los hombres cuatrocientos o trescientos años. Mandó Dios salir de esta tierra derramar y multiplicar por todo el mundo de los hijos de Noé, de estos dichos hijos de Noé uno de ellos trajo Dios a Las Indias, otros dicen que salió del mismo Adán, multiplicaron los dichos indios que todo lo sabe Dios y como poderoso lo puede tener aparte esta gente de Indias en tiempos del diluvio como dicho es engendró Noé a Arphaxad, Arphaxad engendró a Salí, Salí engendró a Heber, Heber engendró a Phalig, Phalig engendró a Reu, Reu engendró a Sarug, Sarug engendró a Nachor, Nachor engendró a Thaze, Thaze engendró a Abrahán».

— Guamán Poma de Ayala, siglo XVII.

Translation: “Men saw four hundred or three hundred years. God commanded the sons of Noah to leave this earth, spread throughout the world, and multiply. Of these sons of Noah, God brought one to the Indies; others say he came from Adam himself. These Indians multiplied, for God knows all things, and as He is powerful, He can keep these people of the Indies separate. In the time of the flood, as has been said, Noah fathered Arphaxad, Arphaxad fathered Sali, Sali fathered Eber, Eber fathered Phalig, Phalig fathered Reu, Reu fathered Sarug, Sarug fathered Nachor, Nachor fathered Thaze, Thaze fathered Abraham.”

— Guamán Poma de Ayala, 17th century.

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Original version: «se infiere, son otra gente, y probablemente israelitas. Pues vemos que nunca pudieron ser conquistados, ni serán perfectamente descubiertos hasta el fin de los días, por permisión divina… que Dios tiene encubiertos en aquella partes, hasta el tiempo de la redención futura […] Y provincias que mas brevemente han de sentir sus efectos, serán las Yndias de Castilla, las cuales darán una gran caída, y será de manera, que el tiempo lo dirá, y el Rey de España lo sentirá, mas de lo que ahora imagina […] los grandes edificios que los españoles hallaron en alguno lugares, se puede conjeturar, ser obra de los israelitas, antes que se ocultasen en las montañas. El Ynga Garcilazo de la Vega, en la primera parte de sus comentarios del Perú, cuenta como en Tiahuanacu, provincia del Collao, entre algunos edificios, se hallo uno digno de inmortal memoria, pegado a la laguna, llamado Chuquiuitu… dedicado según los yndios al hacedor del universo… se puede conjeturar ser alguna Sinagoga hecha por israelitas. […] Pues asi como las Tribus fueron cautivos en diferentes tiempos, asi es de creer, que no están todos juntos en una misma parte, sino que se dividieron en muchas. Por lo cual asi como en el estrecho de Anian decimos, que se pasaron a las Yndias Occidentales… el argumento que tenemos para comprobar esto, consiste en la autoridad de los Jesuitas».

— Manasseh ben Israel, 1650.

Translation: “It can be inferred that they are another people, and probably Israelites. For we see that they could never be conquered, nor will they be fully discovered until the end of days, by divine permission… that God has hidden them in those parts, until the time of future redemption […] And the provinces that will most quickly feel its effects will be the Indies of Castile, which will suffer a great fall, and it will be in such a way that time will tell, and the King of Spain will feel it more than he now imagines […] the great buildings that the Spaniards found in some places, it can be conjectured, are the work of the Israelites, before they hid in the mountains. Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, in the first part of his commentaries on Peru, recounts how in Tiahuanaco, in the province of Collao, among some buildings, one worthy of immortal memory was found, next to the lagoon, called Chuquiuitu… dedicated, according to the Indians, to the creator of the universe… it can be conjectured to be some synagogue built by Israelites. […] For just as the tribes were taken captive at different times, so it is to be believed that they are not all together in one place, but rather divided into many. Therefore, just as we say that they crossed over to the West Indies at the Strait of Anian… the argument we have to prove this consists of the authority of the Jesuits.”

— Manasseh ben Israel, 1650.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, a curious belief about the identity of the Indigenous peoples in the Americas arose in some intellectual circles of the Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Anglo worlds. This idea held that the Indians could be descendants of one of the lost tribes of Israel, a theory that resonated especially in the context of the discovery of the New World and its religious and cultural implications.

In Peru, this current of thought resonated with certain sectors of the Indian elite, where it blended with Catholic traditions and biblical narratives transmitted through evangelization. Influenced by the Jewish and Christian notion of a "chosen people," some Indian leaders began to symbolically identify with Israel, constructing a narrative in which Peru was conceived as a "New Israel." This imaginary was nourished by the religious syncretism of Judaism, Catholicism, and the messianic and millenarian ideals that persisted from movements like Taqui Ongoy and the influence of Jesuit thought. All this religious discourse fueled the belief that the Indians of Peru were "God's chosen people."

Original: «los impulsos de Dios nos alientan, eligiendo un Capitán General como lo hicieron los israelitas a Moisés para salir del cautiverio del Faraón... sacudiendo este pesado yugo».

— Fray Calixto Túpac Inca, 1749.

Translation: "God's impulses encourage us, choosing a Captain General as the Israelites chose Moses to escape Pharaoh's captivity... shaking off this heavy yoke."

— Friar Calixto Túpac Inca, 1749.

From this amalgamation of religious, cultural, and ideological influences arose the expectation that Peru would be the stage for a divine redemption. Some imagined the arrival of a leader who would guide the Indians in a rebellion against Spanish rule, while others awaited the appearance of a Messiah similar to Christ, who would establish the "Kingdom of God" or the "Kingdom of Israel" in Peru. This kingdom, according to these beliefs of the viceregal era, would signify the expulsion of the Spanish functionaries, labeled as "tyrants," and the restoration of a divine order, marking a symbolic return to an era of justice and spiritual redemption.