Antonio José de Sucre

Ecuador would not gain their own independence until 1830 but they did gain independence from Spain in 1824 alongside other countries in the region under the command of Simón Bolívar. Antonio José de Sucre was one of the most influential leaders in the fight for independence against the Spanish. He was sent to fight in Ecuador by Simón Bolívar and was responsible for the victory at the Battle of Pichincha. This battle secured independence for Ecuador from the Spanish. This area was then declared a protectorate of Colombia after local opposition prevented Sucre from annexing it to Colombia (Rodríguez).

Antonio José de Sucre was born in 1795 in Venezuela. He joined the revolution against the Spanish in 1811 and was eventually named Chief Lieutenant to Bolívar, who was known as a great liberator of South America. He gained more notoriety after his success in Ecuador and continued to aid the independence efforts in Peru. Though Bolívar is often giving all the praise for much of South America’s independence, he was absent for the battle that secured independence for the region, The Battle of Ayacucho. Sucre was in command and won independence for South America in 1824.

Sucre was not harsh to the Spanish in his terms of surrender, as shown in the image above, as he was known for being modest, kind and honest. Following independence, he was made the President of Bolivia. He did not want the position and when faced with opposition and an attempt on his life, he resigned. When countries began to fight for independence from the republic of Colombia, Sucre was elected president of he effort against secession. Ultimately, he failed in preventing Venezuela from becoming an independent country. He was killed while riding back to Quito (“Sucre, Antonio José de”). Sucre was an extremely influential actor in the independence of Ecuador and South America. His bravery and service to South America lives on through a multitude of statues and paintings commemorating him and the battles he won.

Works Cited:

Rodríguez O., Jaime E. “Pichincha, Battle of.” In Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture, 2nd ed., edited by Jay Kinsbruner and Erick D. Langer, 234-235. Vol. 5. Detroit, MI: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2008. Gale eBooks (accessed April 14, 2020). https://link-gale-com.wooster.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/CX3078904381/GVRL?u=ohlnk162&sid=GVRL&xid=4c6425d8.

“Sucre, Antonio José de.” In The Columbia Encyclopedia, by Paul Lagasse, and Columbia University. 8th ed. Columbia University Press, 2018. http://0-search.credoreference.com.dewey2.library.denison.edu/content/entry/columency/sucre_antonio_jose_de/0?institutionId=4607