María Verónica Secreto is an Associate Professor in the history department of the Universidade Federal Fluminense-Brazil. Her research topics include: slavery in Hispanic America and agrarian history and landownership. She is currently developing a new research on the legal status of modern slavery: “Siervos and Cautivos: The Genesis of modern slavery. Medieval Spanish legislation and Indian practices”. She also develops projects on Bourbon’s geopolitics in the Atlantic Ocean and on agricultural inequalities. Her research is supported by the Federal Fluminense University, the CNPq, and the FAPERJ.