Question

why did the spanish begin to introduce enslaved africans into south and central america?

Answer 1

The Native Americans died in record numbers (especially in the Caribbean) within decades of the Spanish arrival. The Spaniards needed a labor force to fill the lower rungs of the social ladder in order for the colonial expedition to be profitable. Since the enslavement of Africans was quite accepted in Spain due to the former Islamic rulers having African slaves and participating in the African Slave Trade, it was only natural for the Spaniards to expand this trade and begin to use Africans to replace the dying Natives.

It is important to note that in places like the Andes, where the Native American population did not die off rapidly, African American slaves were not brought in. This is why Peru and Bolivia have a very small percentage of African descendants today.