Uchicho was born in either the Kingdom of Kongo or Senegal into a tribal royal family.
He was captured and enslaved and brought to Upper Peru, a province of the Spanish Empire, around 1820.
[1][2] He was enslaved by the Marquis de Pinedo at an hacienda in the Los Yungas.
[3] Allegedly, Uchicho bore tribal marks only held by royalty, and was therefore recognized by other slaves as a prince.
Uchicho was succeeded as king by Bonifaz, who later adopted the surname Pinedo from the plantation owner.