Manuela Sáenz

Doña Manuela Sáenz (December 27, 1797 (or possibly 1795) – November 23, 1856) was a revolutionary hero of South America and the mistress of the South American revolutionary leader, Simón Bolívar.Sáenz married a wealthy English merchant in 1817 and became an aristocrat and socialite in Lima, Peru. This provided the setting for involvement in political and military affairs, and she became active in support of revolutionary efforts. Leaving her husband in 1822, she soon began an eight-year collaboration and intimate relationship with Bolívar that lasted until his death in 1830. After she prevented an 1828 assassination attempt against him and facilitated his escape, Bolívar began to call her "Libertadora del libertador" ("liberator of the liberator"), and she was celebrated and given many honors. For many years after their deaths, their contributions to the revolutions of South America were suppressed, and although those of Bolívar were revived a decade later, and he was returned to the status of a hero, Manuela's role generally was overlooked until the late twentieth century.

Personal facts

Manuela Sáenz
Birth dateDecember 27, 1797
Birth place
Ecuador , Viceroyalty of New Granada , Quito
Date of deathNovember 23, 1856
Place of death
Peru , Paita

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