To commemorate the October 9th, the anniversary of the independence of this noble city of Guayaquil, it is necessary to pay tribute of gratitude
to those heroes who gave us an
example of courage and patriotism.
After all,
they gave us the most precious inheritance for man, his
freedom.
In September 1820,
young members of the Venezuelan military
battalion Numancia: Letamendi Miguel, Luis
Urdaneta y León Febres-Cordero
arrive at the port en route to Venezuela.
José de Antepara, a leader of the freedom movement, recognizes them as supporters of freedom and
committed to the cause, they
suggest contacting officials Grenadier Reserve, Peruvian
battalion quartered in Guayaquil.
The only way to do
it secretly is to gather in a society’s party.
Isabelita Morlás,
young daughter of
their host, José Villamil, the treasurer of the council, suggests her mother, Doña Villamil Garaycoa, might organize a ball.
This gives the
required excuse for the meeting to happen.
On Sunday, October 1st
by night, Villamil and his wife offered a party
at their home in the Malecon Avenue.
They are known to fraternize
with the Numancia and the Grenadiers.
Without attracting the attention of the others, Antepara secretly meets with supporters
of the emancipation.
This gives the opportunity to form contacts with the people in Guayaquil.
There are twenty
total of conspirators; the leader of them
is Villamil.
- This is the Forge of Vulcan! Antepara forecast.
There are concerns
about the cavalry squadron and artillery
brigade in nearby Daule.
The participants feared that Vivero royal governor of
Guayaquil has discovered the conspiracy.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday conspirators continue their
work of recruitment.
They finally decide to
make the revolution immediately,
citing as one watchword
slogan “Guayaquil for the Fatherland!”.
On Sunday, October 8
in the morning the governor, alarmed by the rumors, holds a Board of War and ordered
the Grenadiers to patrol the streets of the city.
Meanwhile in the house Villamil the patriots
finalize preparations.
They decide on
October 9th at 2 am as the
key time of the events.
Vivero is vigilant at barracks until late
Sunday night but as he finds nothing, finally new retires to rest.
Officers Gregorio Escobedo, Hilario Alvarez, Damien Nájera and José Peña
had joined the movement.
At dawn on Monday,
October 9th Nájera commander
seizes Torres Valdivia
chief of artillery and seizes the keys
Meanwhile Febres
Cordero with fifty
grenadiers, surprised the watch officer of the artillery, capturing the troops.
Antepara and
Urdaneta, with 35
men, vanquish the squadron commander
of Daule who dies in the fight.
The rest of
the men support the freedom cause.
Colonel García del Barrio, the governor Viveror, Colonel Elizalde and Friar Querejasú are all taken prisioners.
The boats patrolling
the river were also imprisoned along with their
commander Villalba.
By the morning the people were overflowing the streets and
squares to know the facts and to hail freedom.
The council
meeting proclaimed independence and José
Joaquín de Olmedo was named Political Head and Gregorio Escobedo
the Chief Military Commander.
Both were sworn
immediately to the office.
So this is the almost
bloodless independence of Guayaquil, which opened definitive emancipation of the former Viceroyalty of Quito and made possible the victory at Pichincha.
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