María Chiquinquirá

María Chiquinquirá Díaz was an Afroecuadorian woman who went to court in 1794 to reclaim her freedom and that of her daughter. She was able to persuade the court in that her case held merit. After the case was ruled against her, she appealed to a higher court that determined she should remain free until the court settled the matter. The court never ruled and she died a free woman.

Life María Chiquinquirá Díaz, "a mulatto woman", was born in the Baba Canton in the 1700s. Her case persuaded the court temporarily, but the dispute continued. In time, the Cepeda family persuaded the court and she was ordered to return to be their slave.

Chiquinquirá appealed to the Real Audiencia of Quito, the highest court, which took the case but did not resolve the dispute. Chiquinquirá was allowed her freedom until the case could be heard. One version says that the case was never heard as vital documents were lost,

Death and legacy Chiquinquirá is regarded as a national hero. The Museum of Nahim Isaias in Guayaquil contains a copy of a freedom certificate for Chiquinquirá and her daughter, Carmen, which dates from 1794 to 1795. María Eugenia Chavez wrote a biography of Chiquinquirá titled Honor y libertad: Discursos y recursos en la estrategia de libertad de una mujer esclava (Guayaquil a fines del período colonial).