Hatuey
| Hatuey of Guahabá | |
|---|---|
The monument of Hatuey, in Baracoa city, Cuba—the place he besieged the most while fighting the Spanish forces. | |
| Cacique of Guahabá | |
| Born | Late 15th century Hispaniola |
| Died | 2 February 1512 Baracoa, Cuba |
| Known for | Being Cuba's "first national hero." |
Hatuey (/ɑːˈtweɪ/), also Hatüey (/ˌɑːtuˈeɪ/; died 2 February 1512), was a Taíno Cacique (chief) of the Hispaniolan cacicazgo of Guanaba (in present-day La Gonave, Haiti). He lived from the late 15th until the early 16th century. Chief Hatuey and many of his tribesmen travelled from present-day La Gonave by canoe to Cuba to warn the Taíno in Cuba about the Spaniards that were arriving to conquer the island.
He later attained legendary status for leading a group of natives in a fight against the invasion of the Spaniards, thus becoming one of the first fighters against Spanish colonialism in the New World. He is celebrated as "Cuba's first national hero."