An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence

Estefanía Parra

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: Mestiza

Events:

Connections:

Biography:
A Colombian campesina, who in 1819 showed General Rondón of the Insurgent army the best place to cross the Boyacá River. His regiments were then able to attack the Spaniards. They fled, and thus opened the road to Bogotá up to Bolívar's troops. (Knaster, 481-482.)

She was a humble campesina who learned that the royalists troops were nearby. She approached the royalists on the pretext of selling food to them, and then sent details about their number and whereabouts to the patriots. She then crossed the Spanish lines to meet with Santander's troops marching towards Tunja. She then acted as a guide to these troops. She gave the alarm when the Spanish forces were camped near a bridge and showed the patriots where to cross the River Teatinos, thus enabling them to march to victory in Boyacá. (P. Forero, 161-162)

References:

Forero, Paulo E. (1972) Las heroinas olvidadas de la independencia
Knaster, Meri (1977) Women in Spanish America: An Annotated Bibliography from Pre-Conquest to Contemporary Times
Monsalve, José D (1926) Mujeres de la independencia