An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence

Carlota Armero

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: White

Events:

Connections:

Biography:
She was born in Mariquita, Colombia, in 1798, the daughter of patriot José Valentín Armero, grand-daughter of José Sebastian Armero and Ana Josefa Conde, both from noble Spanish families. She was related to José León Armero who was shot and decapitated (in 1816) for his services to the independence cause, and to Juan José Armero who was imprisoned in Popayán. She was a cousin-in-law of Antonio Vianna. She was shot by the royalists, on the orders of Coronel Donato Ruiz de Santacruz, military chief of Mariquita, on 28 May 1816. Monsalve knows of no real cause for this other than she was a known patriot, but he adds documents show she refused to marry an official who was related to Colonel Santacruz. It is documented that she was shot in May 1816 by Manuel Angels for not having denounced her uncle, Patricio Armero, but Monsalve believes this is an error as Angeles did not become governor of Mariquita until several months later. He quotes a letter to Andrés Caicedo Santamaría:
"In 1816 Carlota was a young woman aged 18 years. She was so beautiful that a Spanish official named Bernate fell in love with her, and proposed to her. She refused saying that she wouldn't marry one of the tyrants. Bernate was a close relative of Santacruz who shot her in anger. She had shown great enthusiasm for the independence cause." Armero's death caused great consternation in Bogotá. (Monsalve, 133-134, 143)

References:

Monsalve, José D (1926) Mujeres de la independencia