 In Spain, Mexico, and almost all of Latin America, "negro" (lower-cased, as ethnonyms are generally not capitalized in Romance languages) means just 'black colour' and it doesn't refer by itself to any ethnic or race unless further context is provided.As in English, this Spanish word is often used figuratively and negatively, to mean 'irregular' or 'undesirable', as in "" ('black market').However, in Spanish-speaking countries where there are fewer people of West African slave origin, such as Argentina and Uruguay, "negro" and "negra" are commonly used to refer to partners, close friends or people in general, independent of skin color.