The story
Mama Negra Festival in Latacunga
A twice-yearly festival in Latacunga honoring the Virgen de la Merced, credited with halting a 1742 Cotopaxi volcanic eruption, blending Spanish Catholic devotion, remembrance of African colonial-era heritage and indigenous reverence for Pachamama through an elaborate costumed procession led by the Mama Negra figure each edition.
In 1742, an eruption of the Cotopaxi volcano threatened Latacunga, and residents credited the Virgen de la Merced with halting the lava flow, proclaiming her advocate and patron of the volcano and pledging an annual fiesta in her honor, a vow still honored through the Mama Negra festival held twice yearly in the city.