On the Plaza Ibero Americana near Central Station stands the bronze bust of the Bolivian Lieutenant Colonel Juana Azurduy de Padilla, who fought for Bolivian and Argentine independence in the 19th century. The Plaza Ibero Americana was dedicated in 1988 to commemorate the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia. Located near Central Station in the heart of Sydney, the plaza celebrates Australia’s Spanish and Portuguese communities and their contribution to Australia. The Bolivian artist Victor Zapana sculpted the bust in 1995. The inscription on the sandstone pedestal reads: “JUANA AZURDUY DE PADILLA 12.07.1780-25.05.1862 GUERILLA FIGHTER FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF BOLIVIA FROM SPANISH RULE”. Azurduy de Padilla is the only woman among the thirteen Spanish and Portuguese heroes honored on the plaza. Juana Azurduy de Padilla (1780-1862) was a revolutionary military leader who fought for the independence of Upper Peru (modern-day Bolivia) from Spanish rule. Born to a Spanish father and Indigenous mother in Chuquisaca, she defied the strict gender norms of colonial society by becoming a skilled equestrian and sharpshooter from a young age. In 1809, she and her husband, Manuel Padilla, joined the Chuquisaca Revolution against Spanish authorities. Azurduy de Padilla recruited Indigenous fighters, including an elite force of “Amazonas” women soldiers, to the rebel cause. She earned a reputation as a fearless battlefield commander, leading cavalry charges and capturing enemy standards. At the 1813 Battle of Ayohuma, her forces defeated the Spanish despite being outnumbered and outgunned. Azurduy de Padilla was even said to have rejoined the fight hours after giving birth to her fourth son. Dubbed the “Lieutenant Colonel” by Argentine forces in 1816, her guerilla forces continued resisting even after her husband was executed. In 1825, after the Spanish forces evacuated from Upper Peru and Bolivia was established, Azurduy de Padilla received a military pension and got recognition for her actions. In the twilight of her life, her legacy and heroism faded into anonymity, and her pension was cruelly revoked, leaving her impoverished until her death, when she was laid to rest in a common grave. 100 years after she passed, Azurduy de Padilla was reburied with honors in her hometown Sucre and recognized as a national hero who embodied the Indigenous struggle for emancipation. Her birthday (July 12) has become the Day of the Argentine-Bolivian Fellowship. Read more...