Franciscan Catholic missionaries first came to Quibdó in 1648 to convert locals to Catholicism. They were met with a variety of reactions: some local indigenous and Afrocolombian communities welcomed the conversion, while other communities resisted.
According to the official San Pacho Bendito website, today the Festival of San Pacho represents a community reinterpretation of a colonial history. Most people who live in Quibdó and the surrounding towns are either Afrocolombian, indigenous or a mixture of indigenous and African roots. When they celebrate the Festival of San Pacho, they recognize their own ethnic roots and special customs as Colombian minority communities, while also paying homage to Saint Francis for his love of all living things and his promotion of peace around the world.
Unfortunately, the Chocó region of Colombian has suffered violence and extreme poverty for much of its history, beginning with the enslavement of African and indigenous peoples to work in the gold mines in the early 1500s. In recent history, Colombia's civil war forced many locals to flee Chocó to live in other parts of the country for safety. Therefore, the Festival San Pacho is an opportunity not only for the local community to come together and celebrate, but also to demonstrate resistance and resilience to issues that it faces. Watching the parade, I noticed floats dedicated to racial pride for Afrocolombians, respect toward women and visibility for transgender people. The courage and joy of the parade performers inspired me, and I could see the strength of their convictions in the ways that they defended their values and customs through music, dance and art.
