Eduardo Abaroa
Encyclopedia
Colonel Eduardo Abaroa Hidalgo (October 13, 1838 – March 23, 1879) was Bolivia
's foremost hero of the War of the Pacific
(1879–1883), which pitted Chile
against Bolivia
and Peru
. He was one of the leaders of the civilian resistance to the Chilean invasion at the Battle of Topáter
.
Abaroa was an engineer by trade, working in a silver mine located in the coastal region of Litoral, which Bolivia would go on to lose as a result of the War of the Pacific
. During the Battle of Topáter
(23 March 1879), the first armed clash of the war, Colonel Abaroa was part of a badly outnumbered Bolivian force defending a bridge that crossed the Topáter River and gave access to the city of Calama
, an important desert oasis on the road to Bolivia. Refusing to surrender, after the outnumbered Bolivian military forces withdrew, he fought to his last breath, a feat that later transformed him into a revered national hero. When, injured and surrounded, he was asked to surrender by the Chilean forces, he provided an answer that has gone into Bolivian folklore: "¿Rendirme yo? ¡Que se rinda su abuela, carajo!" ("Surrender? Your grandmother should surrender, you bastard!"), equivalent to saying "Surrender? Surrender my ass!". According to Chilean folklore he answered: "Quien, Yo?" ("Who, me?")
square that bears the hero's name. Plaza Abaroa (Abaroa Square) also contains a large bronze statue of the Bolivian martyr, presented in full pose and defiance, as he would have looked the moment before his death. His country honored him with a series of stamps (Scott#365-370 and C157-162). The stamps quoted his last words, eliding "carajo" with an ellipsis
.
Eduardo Abaroa Province is named in his honor, as is Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve
. The anniversary of Abaroa's heroic death (March 23) is a national holiday in Bolivia.
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
's foremost hero of the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
(1879–1883), which pitted Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
against Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. He was one of the leaders of the civilian resistance to the Chilean invasion at the Battle of Topáter
Battle of Topáter
The Battle of Topáter was fought on March 23, 1879 between Chile and Bolivia, and was the first of the War of the Pacific.The Chileans were taking possession of the Antofagasta province, at that time a part of Bolivia. The Bolivian troops, quite few in number, decided to make a stand in the town...
.
Abaroa was an engineer by trade, working in a silver mine located in the coastal region of Litoral, which Bolivia would go on to lose as a result of the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
. During the Battle of Topáter
Battle of Topáter
The Battle of Topáter was fought on March 23, 1879 between Chile and Bolivia, and was the first of the War of the Pacific.The Chileans were taking possession of the Antofagasta province, at that time a part of Bolivia. The Bolivian troops, quite few in number, decided to make a stand in the town...
(23 March 1879), the first armed clash of the war, Colonel Abaroa was part of a badly outnumbered Bolivian force defending a bridge that crossed the Topáter River and gave access to the city of Calama
Calama, Chile
Calama is a city and commune in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It is the capital of El Loa Province, part of the Antofagasta Region. Calama is one of the driest cities in the world with average annual precipitation of just . The River Loa, Chile's longest, flows through the city...
, an important desert oasis on the road to Bolivia. Refusing to surrender, after the outnumbered Bolivian military forces withdrew, he fought to his last breath, a feat that later transformed him into a revered national hero. When, injured and surrounded, he was asked to surrender by the Chilean forces, he provided an answer that has gone into Bolivian folklore: "¿Rendirme yo? ¡Que se rinda su abuela, carajo!" ("Surrender? Your grandmother should surrender, you bastard!"), equivalent to saying "Surrender? Surrender my ass!". According to Chilean folklore he answered: "Quien, Yo?" ("Who, me?")
Legacy and critical discussion
In 1952, on the 73rd anniversary of his death, the Bolivian Government repatriated Abaroa's body, burying it with full honors and in the midst of an impressive crowd (numbering in the tens of thousands) in the popular La PazLa Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
square that bears the hero's name. Plaza Abaroa (Abaroa Square) also contains a large bronze statue of the Bolivian martyr, presented in full pose and defiance, as he would have looked the moment before his death. His country honored him with a series of stamps (Scott#365-370 and C157-162). The stamps quoted his last words, eliding "carajo" with an ellipsis
Ellipsis
Ellipsis is a series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word, sentence or whole section from the original text being quoted. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate an unfinished thought or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence...
.
Eduardo Abaroa Province is named in his honor, as is Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve
Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve
The Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve is located in Sur Lípez Province. Situated in the far southwestern region of Bolivia, it is the country's most visited protected area...
. The anniversary of Abaroa's heroic death (March 23) is a national holiday in Bolivia.