Lago de Maracaibo: Cacao, the Jewish Faith and the Inquisition

Theobroma Cacao L: Criollio

In the seventeenth century, cacao was traded between the Kingdom of New Spain (Mexico) and Venezuela. There is a record of a trade between Antonio Mendez Chillon, a *crypto-Jew from Portugal who, in 1629 landed in Mexico from Angola as a slave trader. and Antonio de Orozco, a purchasing agent from the Maracaibo coastal town of San Antonio de Gibraltar. The consignment, consisting of 677.5 millares of cacao, was confiscated, along with all other money and property by the Inquisition after Mendez Chillon was arrested for Heresy, his crime being his Jewish faith. [continued at http://www.thecacaoworld.com]

Venezuela

Maracaibo

Cacao World Map

Mapping the cacao world: where the cacao tree grows, who grows it, historic and contemporary places and events related to the cacao trade and whatever else captures my imagination. On the categories tab, show address, when clicked, reveals the map coordinates of the growing regions.

The map markers are categorized by Cacao tree taxonomy. Each marker contains information of interest or perhaps just a note that I’m researching, a check back later hint. The information on this map is from various sources, which are cited at The Cacao World Wiki

This map is a work in progress.
http://www.thecacaoworld.com