Karla Cerón stars in short film on Veracruz freedom leader Gaspar Yanga

Model, fitness coach and activist Karla Cerón, a mother from Veracruz, will portray Malaika, the partner of 16th‑century African rebel Gaspar Yanga, in a short film directed by Elías Gómez. The film recounts Yanga’s revolt against Spanish colonial rule, his establishment of an autonomous settlement for freed slaves in the mountains of Veracruz, and the eventual recognition of the community’s freedom in 1609. The settlement is today the municipality of Yanga, celebrated as the first free slave town in the Americas and Yanga is regarded as the continent’s first liberator.

Cerón said of the project, "Dios es bueno, nada es de un día para otro, ser madre significa sacrificar y poner tus sueños en pausa, no olvidarte de ellos." The production aims to revive a silenced historical memory and highlight the role of women like Malaika in the struggle for freedom.

The short film seeks to bring this pivotal episode of Latin American history to a wider audience, emphasizing themes of faith, perseverance and cultural pride.