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Diego Pimento By Fabian Stennett




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Diego Pimento: Jamaica’s First Maroon Warrior and Symbol of Resistance


By Fabian Stennett


Long before Jamaica became a symbol of freedom and resilience, during the turbulent years of European colonial expansion, a remarkable figure emerged from the island’s indigenous and Afro-Spanish roots: Diego Pimento. Oral history honors him as the first Ciboney Maroon guerrilla leader, a fearless defender of his people against the English invasion of 1655.


In May of that year, English forces landed at Passage Fort with the intent to seize Jamaica from the Spanish. As the invaders marched inland toward Spanish Town, they faced fierce resistance from local communities, but it was Diego Pimento who made a decisive stand at Rio Cabana (modern-day Black River). Using his intimate knowledge of the terrain and guerrilla tactics, Pimento blocked the British advance, forcing them to abandon their planned route westward toward Lakova.


On August 4, 1655, Pimento’s strategic defense compelled the English to find an alternative crossing point on the Black River, marking a significant setback for the invaders. This act of defiance symbolized not only a military victory but a powerful assertion of Jamaican autonomy and spirit—a spirit that would inspire generations of Maroon warriors who continued to resist colonial oppression well into the 18th and 19th centuries.


Diego Pimento’s legacy transcends his battlefield heroics. His image is immortalized on the shield of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, representing the courage and determination that define the Jamaican national identity. As a leader of the Ciboney people—ancestors deeply connected to the land and its spiritual traditions—Pimento’s role highlights the continuity of resistance from Jamaica’s earliest inhabitants to its present-day descendants.


The story of Diego Pimento reminds us that Jamaica’s fight for freedom was rooted in the strength and resilience of its indigenous and African peoples. It underscores the importance of oral histories and cultural memory in preserving the true legacy of resistance that shaped the island’s past and continues to influence its future.




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