Juana Azurduy de Padilla, military leader of Bolivia
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Juana Azurduy Llanos (1780/81–1862) fought for the independence of Bolivia as a guerrilla fighter and military leader. She was Mestizo — born to an indigenous mother and a Spanish father. Both of her parents died at a young age, and her aunt, who cared for Juana and her sister, sent her to a convent after Juana rebelled against her. However she was expelled there too, aged 17.
She eventually married her childhood friend Manuel Padilla who shared her love of indigenous communities in Bolivia. During the Bolivian War of Independence from 1809 to 1825, they raised an army and fought a guerrilla war against the Spanish Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata. Juana led an attack on Spanish forces and temporarily occupied the Cerro Rico mountain of Potosí, a main silver source. Her cavalry also captured the enemy battle flag, and Juana was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
Juana became injured and her husband was killed during his attempt to save her. As her guerrilla forces dissolved and Spanish armies controlled the area, she was left pregnant and to fend for herself. She continued to fight from northern Argentina, even while pregnant, and was appointed to the position of commander. In a legendary act, it is said that she left to give birth, and returned hours later to continue the fight. At the highpoint of her control, she commanded an army of 6,000 men strong.
Juana finally died in poverty, but later became acknowledged as a hero. She was posthumously appointed as General of the Argentine Army in 2009, and in 2015 she was honoured with a 15-meter tall statue in Buenos Aires. Juana Azurduy is also the subject of a children’s cartoon created to promote Argentine history.
