cazique
/kəˈziːk/
noun
- A chief or leader of a Native American tribe in the Caribbean, Central America, or South America, especially during the colonial period.
- The cazique welcomed the Spanish explorers to his village.
- The museum displayed artifacts once owned by a powerful cazique.
- Local legends tell of a wise cazique who united several tribes.
- A political boss or leader in some Latin American countries, often with local authority.
- The rural cazique controlled access to water and land in the region.
- Many villagers relied on the cazique to settle disputes.
- The new law aimed to reduce the power of local caziques.