MARIA LUCERO
OUR FIRST CHAMPION OF THE TURMEQUÉ GAME
MARÍA LUCERO, OUR FIRST CHAMPION OF THE TURMEQUÉ GAME
The history goes back to the first years after the colonization of the Turmequense region by the Spanish. The appearance of this iconic character who is part of our ancestral history, occurs as a result of a demand that the clergy of the time, in their evangelizing campaign to our indigenous territories, made to Pedro Naizaque, chief of the moment.
He, as was usual at that time, had several wives. The Dominican priests who came to evangelize our territory told him about the sin he was committing, therefore, they told him that it was his obligation to choose only one woman.
It has been known that the Muisca indigenous people were peaceful people and in this particular territory they solved all conflicts by playing Turmequé, so Chief Pedro Naizaque decided through this sport to solve the conflict around choosing a woman as his wife.
Consequently, Pedro Naizaque’s women embark on a close game that culminates with María Lucero as the winner, and thus becomes Pedro Naizaque’s wife.
It is recorded that this was the first Turmequé match that produced a winner and a prize, therefore, María Lucero is awarded as the first champion of the Al Turmequé Game.