Censos lato sensu. La abolición de la esclavitud y el número de esclavos en Cuba

Throughout the greater part of the 19th century, statistics on the Cuban slave population were deliberately inexact. Colonial authorities and the hacendados were interested in covering up the actual number of slaves; the former preferred to ignore the elevated presence of African natives of different ages, while the hacienda owners evaded taxes and avoided explaining the origin of their workforce. Based on an analysis of official and reserved censuses, British reports and demographic estimations, this article reconsiders the number of slaves that was present in Cuba between 1867 and 1886. This results in a reevaluation of their total number, of the labor needs at the sugar mills and of the conditions in the dissolution of slavery.Durante la mayor parte del siglo XIX las estadísticas de población esclava de Cuba fueron deliberadamente inexactas. El presente artículo, basado en un análisis de censos oficiales y reservados, en informes británicos y estimaciones demográficas, reconsidera el número de esclavos existente en Cuba entre 1867 y 1886. De ello resulta una reevaluación de su monto, de las necesidades laborales en los ingenios y de las condiciones de disolución de la esclavitud