[Bdnews24] In South America, African-inspired religions gain more followers

On February 2, thousands of devotees of African-based religions gathered at the waterfront of the Uruguayan capital for an annual offering to Yemanjá, the Yoruba goddess of fertility and prosperity. The event symbolizes a return to freedom and native Africa. The number of followers of African-based religions is increasing in South America, particularly in Argentina and Uruguay. This rise reflects the growing recognition of the region’s African heritage.

Sasha Curti, a Uruguayan who was raised in a predominantly Catholic family, joined the event with her Umbanda temple to give thanks to Yemanjá. She noted that these communities are no longer hidden and are gaining greater recognition, although discrimination still exists.

Umbanda, an Afro-Brazilian religion, originated in northeastern Brazil and has its roots in the transatlantic slave trade. It blends native Yoruba beliefs from Africa with elements of Catholicism and local Indigenous traditions. Over 2% of Uruguayans identify as followers of African-inspired faiths like Umbanda, a higher proportion than in neighboring Brazil.

Research indicates that the number of people practicing an African-based religion in Uruguay has more than doubled in 12 years, from 0.7% in 2008 to 2.1% in 2020. In Argentina, the number of worshippers is also rising. This increase is partly due to the growing recognition of Afro-descendant cultural identity in Argentina and Uruguay.

In 2022, Argentina included a question about people of African descent in its national census, and Paraguay passed an anti-discrimination law to protect people of African descent. The Children of the Diaspora Collective in Uruguay expects the percentage of those who self-identify as Black or of African descent to significantly exceed the 8% figure recorded in the 2008 census.

The followers of these faiths are not exclusively of African heritage, but their adherence to traditional spiritual practices is helping to boost racial awareness more broadly.

Source: Conversation with Bing
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