In front of the airport that bears her name stands an equestrian statue of the Bolivian heroine Juana Azurduy de Padilla, who was born and grew up in the area at the end of the 18th century. Azurduy de Padilla was one of the leaders who fought the Spanish for their country’s independence. The airport stopped operating in 2016 and became an Air Force base, leading many people to call for the monument relocation to a central location. Juana Azurduy de Padilla (1780-1862) and her husband joined the guerrilla groups to fight the Spanish military in their hometown, Chuquisaca, Upper Peru (now Sucre, Bolivia). Azurduy de Padilla was a fierce and professional leader who won several battles and became a Lieutenant Colonel. Her commitment to the Upper Peru and Argentina’s independence cost her a personal price when her husband and sons were killed. After Bolivia gained independence in 1825, Azurduy de Padilla received a military pension for several years and petitioned the government to allow her to return to her hometown in Sucre. Her requests were denied, and she never returned to Sucre in her lifetime. Azurduy de Padilla died in poverty and was buried without honors. Only years after her death, stories of her bravery and heroism came back to light, and she became a Bolivian and Argentinian heroine. Her remains returned to Sucre and buried with honors in a mausoleum. Read more...