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

Dolores Vargas París de Ricaurte

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Dolores Vargas

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: Unknown

Events:

Connections:

Biography:
Born around 1804, at the age of 15 she led a group of 20 women in a tribute to Bolívar's liberation army in 1819 when they entered Bogotá. She married one of the officers, Rafael Ricaurte, in 1822. She went into exile for a time before doing charity work in Caracas. Her children became government officials (in Caracas?). (Knaster, 485-486.)

The daughter of Ignacia París y Ricaurte and Ignacio Vargas. She is said to have inherited her mother's great beauty and talents. París y Ricaurte died in 1815, Vargas was executed by the royalists in June 1816 leaving her orphaned. (Monsalve, 137)

This could be the same person or her daughter: Doña Dolores Vargas was probably held in the Cárcel Chiquita and then exiled to Facativá by Morillo in August 1816. (Monsalve, 157,159)

On 10 August 1819, after the battle of Boyacá, she and her grandmother, Genoveva Ricaurte de París, were among the first to greet Bolívar. She was among a group of 20 young women from distinguished families presented to Bolívar when he arrived at Bogotá in triumph. She read out a speech to him as he was presented with a laurel crown. (Monsalve, 215, 218)

She was part of the González Manrique, Alvarez, Ricaurte, París, Pardo, Nariño clan. (Monsalve, 139)

References:

Knaster, Meri (1977) Women in Spanish America: An Annotated Bibliography from Pre-Conquest to Contemporary Times
Monsalve, José D (1926) Mujeres de la independencia