An indifferent people! How different your destiny would be if you knew the price of freedom! But it's not too late. Although I am a woman and young, I now have the courage to face death and I would have it a thousand times more, do not forget! ".
With these words, Policarpa Salavarrieta was shot dead on November 14, 1817, in the plaza that today is called Bolivar, in the middle of Bogotá. Known as La Pola, it is an important icon of Colombian independence.
Policarpa Salavarrieta and I were born in the same province, in Cundinamarca. He was born in Guaduas, it is not clear what year, although officially established in 1795. He was a modisto and a professor. Its historical importance lies in the determination, humanity and courage it demonstrated in life. The Polo played a decisive role in the liberation process against Spain. He gave us the path of independence, but unfortunately the dominant political class did not understand anything at that time, and still does not understand anything.
'La Pola' gave us the path of independence, but unfortunately the dominant political class did not understand anything at that time, and still does not understand it.
How much he wanted humanity, what faith he had in the people and how crazy La Pola had. He worked as an intelligence, and he was a spy. I passed the information I got to the independence movement. It was a terrible time for imposing the Spanish crown. So he was shot in a public square to be intervened by the people of the town.
Their image has appeared frequently in banknotes and coins, a neighborhood in Bogotá has its name, in Colombia there are no schools on its walls that do not praise Policarpa's courage. The textbooks also highlight their biography, a reference among the women of the plain people. Theater plays are written about his life. The first premiered on the table in 1820 and, according to sources of the time, viewers prevented shooting. Many times the series tell the heroin feats. In Argentina, a street has its name. In 1911 the company Bavaria named La Pola a beer. That's why Colombians call Pola beer.
Many of the great South American painters have made their own portrait, and I would like to make special mention of one of them, by José María Espinosa. This portrait, currently visible in the National Museum of Bogotá, has its own and outstanding space. Espinosa also participated in the liberation struggle and met Policarpa personally. This beautiful portrait always reminds me of Leonardo’s Gioconda and the distance I like to think that our revolutionary “Mona Lisa” reflects the beauty of a great woman’s contribution.