1 mars 1773 - María de las Mercedes Barbudo

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María de las Mercedes Barbudo y Coronado (1773- 17 Feb 1849) was a Puerto Rican political activist, the first woman *Independenista* in the island, and a Freedom Fighter. At the time, the Puerto Rican independence movement had ties with the Venezuelan rebels led by Simón Bolivar.

Her father was an officer in the Spanish Army. The benefits of being the daughter of a military officer was that she could afford to obtain an education and to buy books. She was one of the few women in the island who learned to read because at the time, the only people who had access to libraries and who could afford books were either appointed Spanish government officials or wealthy landowners. The poor depended on oral story telling, in what are traditionally known in Puerto Rico as Coplas and Décimas. Well educated, Barbudo became interested in politics and social activism.

As a young woman, Barbudo founded a sewing goods store in San Juan, specialising in the sale of buttons, threads and clothes. She eventually became successful as a personal loan provider. She dealt commercially with Joaquín Power y Morgan, an immigrant who came to Puerto Rico as a representative of the Compañía de Asiento de Negros, which regulated the slave trade on the island.

Simón Bolívar and Brigadier General Antonio Valero de Bernabé, known as "The Liberator from Puerto Rico", dreamed of creating a unified Latin America, including Puerto Rico and Cuba. Barbudo was inspired by Bolívar; she supported the idea of independence for the island and learned that Bolívar hoped to establish an American-style federation among all the newly independent republics of Latin America. He also wanted to promote individual rights.[5] She befriended and wrote to many Venezuelan revolutionists, among them José María Rojas, with whom she regularly corresponded. She also received magazines and newspapers from Venezuela which upheld the ideals of Bolívar.

She was exiled to Cuba. She was held in an institution in which women accused of various crimes were housed. With the help of revolutionary factions, Barbudo escaped and went to Saint Thomas Island. She eventually arrived at La Guaira in Venezuela where her friend José María Rojas met her.[8] They went to Caracas where she met Bolívar. Barbudo established a close relationship with the members of Bolívar's cabinet which included José María Vargas. He later was elected as the fourth president of Venezuela. She worked closely with the cabinet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_de_las_Mercedes_Barbudo

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