A look back at the Latin Liberators of the Roller Games era, by Scott Stephens—author of ROLLING THUNDER: The Golden Age of Roller Derby and The Rise & Fall of the LA T-Birds.
Latin Libertadores (The Liberators), known colloquially as the Latin Libs, were an international roller derby team based in Caracas, Venezuela, active from 1973 to 1975. Joined in the newly formed International Skating Conference (ISC) in the fall of 1973, they competed alongside teams like the L.A. T-Birds, Eastern Warriors, Team Canada, and the Tokyo Bombers.
The roster featured mainly Hispanic skaters—and a few non-Hispanic athletes who were fluent in Spanish. Team leaders included Leroy Gonzales, Jennifer Richards (known on the track as Juanita Riccardo), and Sally Vega. Bessie Gonzales, Lucy Ponce, and John Ortiz, and others.
Latin Libs’ matches were recorded in the U.S. and distributed widely via Spanish-language television both stateside and in Latin America, helping broaden their audience. The team’s name—Latin Libertadores—translates to “The Liberators,” reflecting both cultural pride and athletic dynamism.
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