Petrona Hernández López
Petrona Hernández López | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Maria de la Cruz 3 May 1890? |
| Died | 14 February 2007 El Carmen |
| Other names | Amanda Aguilar |
| Occupation | Revolutionary |
Petrona Hernández López (3 May 1890? - 14 February 2007), born Maria de la Cruz, better known as Amanda Aguilar, was a revolutionary from Nicaragua.
Biography
[edit]Maria de la Cruz was reputedly born on 3 May 1890, she adopted the name Amanda Aguilar as a revolutionary and then later adopted the name Petrona Hernández López for her own protection.[1] Her family lived in poverty in a rural area.[2]
López was a member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and fought for Nicaraguan independence against the Somocista dynasty from the 1930s until 1979.[1] In 1961 her whole family joined the FSLN.[3] She had three children, two of whom were killed by the dictatorship.[4] Two of her brothers, Juan and Esteban Hernández, were also killed: they were thrown from an aeroplane.[4] Her mother, María Venancia, was also part of the revolutionary struggle.[4] In the 1920s they both collaborated with Sandino against the occupation by US Marines.[5]
López died on 14 February 2007. After her death, president Daniel Ortega paid tribute to her heroism in the war.[6] At her death she was considered the oldest woman in Nicaruagua.[7] She was buried in El Carmen, Rancho Grande, at the church of the Assemblies of God.[8]
The Women of the Cua
[edit]During the 1960s many women from the municipality of El Cuá organised themselves so that they could support the guerrillas.[3] In 1968, the area was attacked by the Somocista National Guard: the men were killed and the women were imprisoned.[3] The National Guard wanted to obtain information about guerrilla activity, but the women refused to collaborate, as a result nineteen of these women were raped and tortured.[6] These nineteen became known as the Women of the Cua.[3] After six months of imprisonment, rape and torture they were released.[4] Her mother, María Venancia, died during captivity.[9] Upon release, López was spoke out about their experience, which shocked public opinion.[2] López was the oldest member of the group, and became known as their leader.[10] Other members included: Gladys Baez, Gloria Martinez, Doris Tijerino, amongst others.[11]
Their heroism was recorded in a poem by Ernesto Cardenal, which was published in 1985.[12] It became a popular revolutionary song written by Carlos Mejía Godoy.[4]
Awards
[edit]The Order of Augusto Cesar Sandino - posthumously awarded, 2017.[6]
Legacy
[edit]In 2019 The Women Militants of the FSLN “Amanda Aguilar” were established as a campaign group for gender equality with the organisation, named after Lopez's revolutionary alias.[13]
Aguilar on Film
[edit]- Las Mujeres del Cuá - a recording of the Women of the Cua, 2001
References
[edit]- ^ a b Diario, El Nuevo. "El Nuevo Diario". Elnuevodiario.com.ni (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ a b "Mujeres sandinistas para la Historia". www.mujeresenred.net. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ a b c d "Antiwar Songs (AWS): Carlos Mejía Godoy - Las Mujeres del Cuá". www.antiwarsongs.org. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ a b c d e "Before the death of Amanda Aguilar: 116 years of history". IUF - Latin American Regional Secretariat -. Archived from the original on 2007-11-04.
- ^ González-Rivera, Victoria, 1969- (2011). Before the revolution : women's rights and right-wing politics in Nicaragua, 1821-1979. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-271-05058-4. OCLC 779849909.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c "Daniel rinde homenaje póstumo a heroína nicaragüense - LVDS". La Voz del Sandinismo (in Spanish). 2007-02-14. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ "Claims From Nicaragua (Age 108+)". The 110 Club. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ Diario, El Nuevo. "El Nuevo Diario". El Nuevo Diario. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ "Las Mujeres del Cuá: Un horrible relato". Cuaderno Sandinista (in Spanish). 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ Ferrero Blanco, María Dolores. (2010). La Nicaragua de los Somoza. Huelva: Universidad de Huelva. p. 315. ISBN 978-84-16621-44-6. OCLC 966456255.
- ^ Las Mujeres del Cuá, retrieved 2020-01-05
- ^ Passaro, Joanne (1987-09-01). "Conceptualizations of gender: An example from Nicaragua". Feminist Issues. 7 (2): 49–60. doi:10.1007/BF02933926. ISSN 1936-4717. S2CID 143650647.
- ^ "Mujeres sandinistas "Amanda Aguilar" se capacitan en diversos temas | La Gente | Radio La Primerísima". www.radiolaprimerisima.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-01-05.