cacique

local boss

noun kah-SEE-keh Rare

Origin: From Taíno kasike ('chief'), one of the first Amerindian words borrowed into Spanish after 1492.

Also means

political strongman

Usage Note

Cacique entered Spanish from the Taíno language of the Caribbean and originally meant a tribal chief. In modern Spanish it denotes a local political or economic strongman who wields informal power, often abusively — the corresponding system is called caciquismo. The word carries a strongly negative connotation in political discourse.

Examples

"El cacique del pueblo controlaba todos los negocios."

Natural Translation

The local boss controlled all the businesses.

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