MONUMENT À POLICARPA SALAVARRIETA

Nicknamed "La Pola", Policarpa Salavarrieta (1795-1817) was a heroine of Colombian independence. At just 15, she took part in the fight against the Spanish colonists, in charge of communications, supplies and recruitment. She soon took on an espionage role as well, playing a strategic role by gathering vital intelligence on enemy tactics. Accused of treason by the crown, she was captured. She was shot to death in Plaza Bolivar in 1817, aged just 22, after resisting torture without giving up any information. Her youth, her courage, her contribution to the struggle and her tragic death immediately made her a symbol of freedom and an emblematic figure of independence. As a result, on the first centenary of independence in 1910, a first cement statue was erected in Barrio Las Aguas, to pay tribute to and celebrate La Pola's legacy. She is depicted seated on a bench, her hands tied behind her back, with a look of insubordination that conveys her conviction and devotion to the independence cause. "Although a woman and young, I have the courage to face death and a thousand other deaths. Long live freedom", reads the inscription at the foot of the statue. La Pola is a great Colombian female figure, honored in Bogotá, but also found elsewhere in the country, as well as on stamps, coins and the local beer "La Pola".