Spied for the revolution during the Spanish Reconquista of New Granada (modern-day Colombia) by offering her services as a seamstress to wives and daughters of Royalist families, while overhearing conversations, collecting maps and intelligence, identifying the major Royalists, finding out who was suspected of being a revolutionary, and recruiting young men to the insurgent army. Eventually arrested for espionage and treason and sentenced to death by firing squad. While imprisoned, cursed the Spaniards relentlessly and predicted their defeat instead of repeating the prayers of the priests. It is said that when she paused, tired and thirsty, a guard offered her a glass of wine and she threw it back in his face, saying “I would not accept even a glass of water from my enemies!”
As she was led to her death, she continued to berate her captors and gave her fellow prisoners heart. Ascending the scaffolding in Bolívar Square, she was told to turn her back, as that is how traitors were killed. However, she refused to kneel before the Spanish firing squad, and yelled “I have more than enough courage to suffer this death and a thousand more! Do not forget my example.” Considered the most significant woman of the Revolution, with a holiday - Day of the Colombian Woman - in her honor on the anniversary of her death. The only historical female personality ever depicted on Colombian currency. (Policarpa Salavarrieta, “La Pola”)
