Ana María de Campos y Cubillán de Fuentes (; April 2, 1796 – October 17, 1828) was a resistance fighter in the

Venezuelan War of Independence The Venezuelan War of Independence (, 1810–1823) was one of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early nineteenth century, when independence movements in South America fought a civil war for secession and against unity of the S ...

. She was given the honor of "heroine", and is known as a "warrior" and a "martyr".

Early life

Ana María was the daughter of Domingo José de Campos y Perozo de Cervantes, and María Ana Cubillán de Fuentes y Vera. From a young age she was a supporter of the expulsion of the Spanish government. She came from one of the most aristocratic families in the region, and received the limited education that was traditional for women in such families, which was primarily restricted to the study of

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Despite this, she became learned in the arts of society and even in the

chivalric code Chivalry, or the chivalric language, is an informal and varying code of conduct that developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It is associated with the medieval Christian institution of knighthood, with knights being members of various chiva ...

, becoming "known as an accomplished Amazona". Within high society, Ana María was indirectly exposed to the writings and liberal thoughts of the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a Europe, European Intellect, intellectual and Philosophy, philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained th ...

, and from a young age was reported as having "a thirst for liberty, equality and fraternity", a thirst which would give her reason to resist the Royalist counter-coup of 1821-23.

Resistance campaigns and arrest

Sympathetic to, and then active in, independence causes from childhood, Ana María opened up the rooms of her large family home for the organisation of these forces, and plotted with them. She is perhaps best known for her actions during the Royalist occupation of

Lake Maracaibo Lake Maracaibo () is located in northwestern Venezuela, between the states of Zulia, Trujillo, and Mérida. While Maracaibo is commonly referred to as a lake, its current hydrological characteristics may better classify it as estuary and/or ...

, headed up by Field Marshal

Francisco Tomás Morales Francisco Tomás Morales (Agüimes Carrizal, Canary Islands, December 20, 1781 or 1783 – Las Palmas, Canary Islands, October 5, 1845), was a Spanish military, and the last of that country to hold the post of Captain General of Venezuela, reac ...

. After hearing of Ana María's attempts to aid the revolution, in September 1822, Morales accused her of organising clandestine meetings to overthrow the crown and had her arrested. One of the pieces of evidence given was something she said in one of the secret meetings: "Si Morales no capitula, monda!" — in the vernacular of the time, "If Morales does not surrender, he dies". She was personally questioned by Morales and confessed to saying the phrase, which had already become a popular chant in Maracaibo. She refused to apologise to Spain, and was convicted and sentenced to a "public flagellation". This entailed riding through the streets topless, specifically on a

donkey The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...

instead of on horseback, turning the symbol into one of disgrace. She was lashed at the same time by the public executioner, Valentín Aguirre. It is reported that after every lash he asked her if she wanted to repent, and every time she answered, "Si no capitula, monda". After enduring the torture, she was released. However, the injuries sustained would eventually be the cause of her death.

Battle of Lake Maracaibo

Though beaten, Ana María lived several years longer. The year after her arrest and torture, the battle that she had sought for happened, the

Battle of Lake Maracaibo The Battle of Lake Maracaibo also known as the "Naval Battle of the Lake" was fought on 24 July 1823 on Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo between fleets under the commands of Republican Admiral José Prudencio Padilla and royalist Captain Ángel L ...

, on July 24, 1823. Still weak from the torture, she took a supporting role in the battle. The revolutionaries won the battle, securing independence for

Maracaibo Maracaibo ( , ; ) is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the largest city in Venezuela and is List of cities in Venezuela by population ...

, and forcing Morales to surrender.

Death

Ana María died at age 32, five years after the victory at Lake Maracaibo, from an

epileptic seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...

that came about from her torture injuries, on the shores of

on October 17, 1828.

Legacy

Numerous sites in

are named for Ana María, including a street, a public square, and a petrochemical complex. A monument in the public square bearing her name depicts Ana María riding topless on a donkey as a man wields a whip behind her. In areas of

Zulia Zulia State (, ; Wayuu: ''Mma’ipakat Suuria'') is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. As of the 2011 census, it has a population of 3,704,404, the largest population among Venezuela's states. It is also one of t ...

, the state of Ana María's birth, the bicentennial of her birth was celebrated with a large festival. There was also a push to create more biographies of her at this time, and the Ana María Campos Orchestra was formed. A popular tune in Venezuela was composed and dedicated to Ana María, and is used to commemorate her. It is called the "Canción de primavera", which translates as "Spring Song". In 2016, the

Legislative Council of Zulia The Legislative Council of Zulia (, CLEZ), according to article 162 of the Constitution of Venezuela and article 38 of the Constitution of Zulia, is the state legislature of Zulia, a state of Venezuela. It consists of 15 deputies who are popularl ...

established the Order Ana María Campos, which is bestowed annually on local women "who actively fight for gender equality and women's empowerment in the different social branches of the country".

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campos, Ana María 1796 births 1828 deaths Women in the Venezuelan War of Independence People of the Venezuelan War of Independence People from Zulia Viceroyalty of New Granada people