Born: 27 December 1797 (Quito, Ecuador)
Died: 23 November 1856
Biography:
Manuela Sáenz de Vergara y Aizpuru (27 December 1797 – 23 November 1856) was an Ecuadorian revolutionary heroine of South America. She played a significant role in supporting the revolutionary cause by gathering information, distributing leaflets, and advocating for women’s rights. Manuela’s dedication and fearlessness in the face of adversity cemented her enduring legacy as a key figure in the fight for independence in the 19th century.
Born in Quito, Manuela was the illegitimate child of Maria Joaquina Aizpuru from Ecuador and the married Spanish nobleman Simón Sáenz de Vergara y Yedra. Her mother was abandoned by her modest family due to the pregnancy, and her father provided for young Manuelita to attend the Convent of Santa Catalina, where she received an education that included reading and writing. The convent served as a microcosm of the Spanish colonial caste system, with white nuns presiding over a diverse group of mestiza and native servants. Manuela maintained contact with the upper-class nuns of Santa Catalina throughout her life, seeking their guidance and counsel.
At the age of seventeen, Manuela was forced to leave the convent after being discovered to have been seduced by army officer Fausto D’Elhuyar. Following her departure, her father arranged her marriage to James Thorne, a wealthy English doctor twice her age. The couple moved to Lima, Peru, in 1819, where Manuela embraced her newfound role as an aristocrat. Her home became a center for social gatherings, attended by political leaders and military officers.
It was through these social connections that Manuela immersed herself in the revolutionary movement. Guests at her gatherings would confide in her, sharing crucial military secrets about the ongoing revolution. The successful liberation of New Granada by Simón Bolívar in 1819 further radicalized Manuela, leading her to become an active participant in the conspiracy against the viceroy of Peru, José de la Serna e Hinojosa.
However, it was her pivotal role in the life of Simón Bolívar that would shape her place in history. Manuela left her husband in 1822 and began an eight-year collaboration and intimate relationship with Bolívar, which endured until his death in 1830. Her unwavering support for Bolívar’s revolutionary ideals and her willingness to put her own life on the line earned her the nickname Libertadora del libertador (liberator of the liberator).
Manuela’s devotion to Bolívar was not without sacrifice. In 1828, she saved his life by preventing an assassination attempt and facilitated his escape. This act of bravery solidified their bond and further cemented her place in Bolívar’s inner circle.
Despite her significant contributions to the revolutionary cause, Manuela’s role was largely overlooked in the years following her death. It was not until the late twentieth century that she began to receive recognition as a feminist symbol of the 19th-century wars of independence. Her commitment to women’s rights and her unyielding support for revolutionary ideals made her an inspirational figure for generations of women to come.
Awards:
– Order of the Sun (Caballeresa del Sol or ‘Dame of the Sun’) for her exceptional services during the revolution.