cabildos

Cabildos is a term used in Spanish-speaking contexts to describe two broad kinds of institutions with distinct origins and functions: municipal governance in Iberia and its colonies, and Afro-descendant social and religious associations in the Caribbean and related diasporas.

As a municipal institution, a cabildo was the local town council or city hall. In medieval and early modern Iberia and across the Spanish Empire, cabildos governed towns and villages, usually led by an alcalde (mayor) and regidores (councilors). Their duties included urban administration, public works, taxation, policing, and judicial matters. They could convene cabildo abierto, a meeting of all residents, to decide on major matters or authorize extraordinary actions. The structure and powers of cabildos varied by region and period, but they remained central to local governance until reforms in the 19th century.

In the Caribbean and parts of Latin America, cabildo also designates Afro-descendant fraternal and religious associations known as cabildos de nación. Formed by enslaved Africans and their descendants, these cabildos provided mutual aid, education, and social cohesion while preserving African cultural practices, music, and religious rites. They were organized around "nations" or ethnic groups (such as Congo, Yoruba, and others) and often incorporated Catholic elements. Cabildos played a role in the transmission of ritual language and drumming, and in some periods they functioned as centers of political organization and resistance. They faced suppression by colonial authorities but remained influential in Afro-Caribbean religious life, contributing to syncretic traditions such as Santería and related practices.

Today, the term cabildo remains part of everyday language for town councils in many Spanish-speaking regions, while references to cabildos de nación highlight a legacy of cultural preservation and community organization among Afro-descendant groups.