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

Rosa Montúfar

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: White

Events:

Connections:

Biography:
From Ecuador, she is mentioned for her part (unspecified) in the Independence Movement (Pallis, 24; Jiménez de Vega, 21).

She was the sister of Carlos Montúfar y Larrea, from the Quito nobility. In June 1810 he returned from Spain as royal commissioner to bring Quito under order (it was occupied by Peruvian forces). The Junta of New Granada (Bogotá) refused to accept this appointment following a request by the Quito authorities. This led to further discontent, criticism of the government and a demand for the removal of the Peruvian troops. On 2 August 1810, there was a failed attempt to free prisoners taken after the 1809 movement. Many of the leaders were killed, as were inhabitants of Quito. Quito was then sacked. Two days later President Ruíz de Castilla called a meeting of nobles. It was decided that the Peruvian troops should leave, and that Carlos Montúfar be allowed to arrive. Carlos Montúfar insisted on sharing power over the military with President Ruíz and met with a junta of nobles in September 1810. They agreed to recognise Fernando VII provided he was independent of French control, and to form a Junta that was subject to Fernando VII (i.e. Quito was independent of both Bogotá and Lima). Juan Pío Montúfar was named vice-President of this Junta. This isolated Quito as Popayán, Pasto, Cuenca and Guayaquil all refused to accept Quito's authority. In March 1811 Juan Pío Montúfar had to retreat north, and in May Carlos Montúfar abandoned his command. In October Ruíz de Castilla had to resign from the Junta. In the face of civil war, the Montúfar family fled in 1812.
Carlos Montúfar was evidently close to Rosa Montúfar: he wrote to her with news of his appointment in May 1810, when she was in Cartagena. (Rodríguez, 145-150)

The Gaceta de Caracas mentions two letters from Carlos to Rosa written on 10 May 1810 and 17 June 1810. (Gaceta de Caracas, 15 de enero de 1811, p.4)

She attended the pro-independence meetings at her father, Juan Pío Montúfar's home. (Monsalve, 36)

In November and December 1808 Juan Pío Montúfar led a conspiracy against the Spanish authorities that was would have been carried out in March 1809, but the plan was discovered in February 1809. The group continued to hold secret meetings in houses under the cover of family gatherings. Many of these took place at his own home and his daughter, Rosa Montúfar became a victim. (Monsalve, 39)

References:

Carvajal Thoa, Morayma Ofyr (1949) Galeria del espiritu, mujeres de mi patria
Jiménez de la Vega, Mercedes (1981) La mujer ecuatoriana, frustraciones y esperanzas
Pallis, Michael (trans.) (1980) Slaves of Slaves: The Challenge of Latin American Women
Rodríguez O., Jaime E. (1998) The Independence of Spanish America