Deolinda Antonia Correa de Bustos

Other names/titles: La Difunta Correa
Gender: F
Ethnic origin: Unknown

Biographical details

A campesina who lived on the border of San Juan and La Rioja during Facundo Quiroga's rule. Her father was a veteran of the independence wars, but was persecuted by Quiroga after the death of the governor of San Juan, Plácido Fernández de Maradona. She married campesino Clemente Bustos who later (in the 1840s) joined the Quiroga's troops leaving her and their baby son. She could not bear the separation and took up her son and walked after the troops towards La Rioja. She died of thirst and from the wounds on her feet close to Vallecito on the slopes of Pie de Palo. She was found by a group of muleteers, the baby was at her breast, still alive. They buried Correa and took the child to the village. Moved by the story, the villagers visited her grave, which eventually became a pilgrimage site. (Sosa de Newton, 153-154)

Her story has become incorporated into folklore and there are many shrines with her image throughout Argentina. Truck drivers leave candles and water for her as well as spare engine parts. Thousands of pilgrims visit her shrine at Vallecito, said to be the place of her death. (Lonely Planet, p.347)

Life Events

Died

1845

She is said to have died from lack of water in the 1840s.

References

Sosa de Newton, Lily, (1986), Diccionario biográfico de mujeres argentinas

Boa, Sandra, Greensfelder, Ben and Hubbard, Carolyn, (2002), Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay

Publications

There is no writing by this subject in the database.

Links

Resource id #23 (7)

Gendering Latin American Independence

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