Policarpa Salavarrieta

A revolutionary heroine who risked her life as a spy during Colombian independence wars

Policarpa Salavarrieta (1795-1817), affectionately called La Pola, became a symbol of resistance against Spanish colonial rule through her extraordinary espionage work. Born in New Granada, she used her position as a seamstress to infiltrate royalist circles and gather critical military intelligence.

Her most significant contribution came during the Reconquista period in 1816-1819, when she:

• Organized secret communication networks between rebel groups
• Smuggled weapons and supplies to patriots
• Decoded encrypted messages using indigenous textile patterns

Despite being captured and executed by firing squad at age 22, her last words I have more courage than any of you! became a rallying cry. Modern historians like Dr. Camilo Sánchez credit her intelligence operations with enabling Simón Bolívar's decisive victory at Boyacá in 1819.