María de la Encarnación Ezcurra (March 25, 1795 – October 20, 1838) was an Argentine political activist, wife of

Juan Manuel de Rosas Juan Manuel José Domingo Ortiz de Rosas (30 March 1793 – 14 March 1877), nicknamed "Restorer of the Laws", was an Argentine politician and army officer who ruled Buenos Aires Province and briefly the Argentine Confederation. Although ...

. She was the daughter of Juan Ignacio Ezcurra and Teodora de Arguibel. She married Rosas on March 16, 1813. She became her husband's most faithful follower, helping him in many difficult circumstances. In 1833–1834, her husband was away from

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

leading an army in the Desert Campaign to extend Argentina's frontier. She was the driving force behind the

Revolution of the Restorers The Revolution of the Restorers ( es, Revolución de los Restauradores) was a rebellion that took place in Buenos Aires in 1833. The governor Juan Ramón Balcarce was ousted from office and replaced by Juan José Viamonte. The rebellion was motiv ...

, and was the president of the Mazorca, an organization which acted as a secret police. The Revolution of the Restorers unseated

Juan Ramón Balcarce Juan Ramón González de Balcarce (16 March 1773 – 12 November 1836) was an Argentine military leader and politician. Biography Juan was the older brother of Antonio González de Balcarce and of Marcos González de Balcarce. He fought agai ...

the governor of the Buenos Aires. The Mazorca put pressure on every government worker to vocally campaign for the return of de Rosas. This forced the provincial legislature, the Board of Representatives, which had the power to designate governors, to regard her husband as the only option to restore social order in the province. After the triumph of her husband in the Desert Campaign (1833–34), and with her success in securing the governorship for him, the people gave her the title of ''Heroine of the Holy Federation''. It is particularly notable that at that time prejudices against women participating in politics ran high, yet Ezcurra achieved great responsibilities and a considerable following. She died unexpectedly at the age of 43. Even today historians dispute the cause of her death although many believe that she died of

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possi ...

or a similar condition. Her death, however, caused great grief among the people and the political establishment. Twenty five thousand participated in her funeral procession from el Fuerte to the Convent of San Francisco, where she was buried. That would have represented 40% of the total population living in Buenos Aires at the time. The funeral costs were paid for by the Board of Representatives, whom Rosas formally thanked on November 1, 1838.

References

Juan Manuel de Rosas Argentine people of Spanish descent Argentine people of Basque descent Federales (Argentina) People from Buenos Aires 1795 births 1838 deaths 19th-century Argentine women Burials at La Recoleta Cemetery {{Argentina-politician-stub