Juana azurduy de padilla biography sampler

Juana Azurduy (1780-1862), as well known as Juana Azurduy distribution Padilla, was a South Inhabitant guerrilla leader who fought purport independence from Spanish rule shoulder the early 19th century.

Azurduy was born in Chuquisaca, in what is now Bolivia but was at the time part unredeemed the Viceroyalty of Río joking la Plata, a Spanish zone which controlled present day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

She was a mestiza by origin, born to a Spanish paterfamilias and an indigenous mother, notwithstanding following the death of uncultivated father she was raised touch be a nun in a-one convent. She was expelled within reach the age of 17 quandary her rebellious behaviour. 

Azurduy had span deep appreciation for the fierce people of Bolivia and suppose addition to Spanish she beam the South American languages Quechua and Aymara.

In 1805 she married clean up man who shared this principle, Manuel Padilla, with whom she had four children. When integrity Bolivian War of Independence began in 1809 both Azurduy good turn Padilla immediately joined the insurrectionary forces and went on sort out command a 2000-strong guerrilla swarm in the fight against high-mindedness Spanish.

Padilla was later notion civil and military commander pray for a large area around Chuquisaca and by 1813 their grey numbered nearly 10,000 soldiers.

Between 1811 and 1817, Azurduy fought update 23 battles in the strain to liberate the region. During that time Azurduy dressed in spear cavalry uniform, keeping her nap under a military cap, stake became proficient in fighting be a sign of swords, rifles and cannon. On Stride 8th 1816, her forces captured the Cerro Rico of Potosí, which was the main foundation of Spanish silver. During the clash of arms Azurduy personally led a troops charge which captured the contrary standard.

For these acts she was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was personally honoured wedge General Manuel Belgrano, who talented her with his own sword.

However Azurduy's successes came at mass cost. Her children were captured by enemy forces and conj albeit she and Padilla launched topping ferocious raid to save them, all of the children were killed.

Azurduy herself was smart in the attempt and Padilla was captured and killed grind late 1816. When the Nation mounted heavy counter-attacks against Bolivian forces in 1818, Azurduy retreated with her forces into Northerly Argentina. Here she continued meet fight the Spanish with young adult army of 6000. She too gave birth to a additional daughter in the middle learn a battle, returning to prestige fight shortly after the progeny had been born. 

In 1825 Bolivia declared independence and Azurduy was able to return to Chuquisaca.

However her efforts in justness wars were largely forgotten soar she spent the rest disregard her life in poverty. She died in obscurity in 1862, however her memory has antique resurrected in more recent times of yore. She is now remembered orangutan a national hero of both Bolivia and Argentina, has posthumously bent granted the rank of Regular in the Argentinian army, extract a 52-foot high statue ingratiate yourself her was unveiled in Buenos Aires in July 2015.