María Concepción Loperena

María Concepción Loperena de Fernández de Castro (nickname, "La Loperena" or "La Heroína"; Valledupar, Viceroyalty of New Granada, 12 February 1775 - Valledupar, Republic of New Granada, 21 December 1835) was a Colombian independence activist and patriot who supported the armies of Simón Bolívar in the independence of Valledupar. She was also an abolitionist who freed hundreds of slaves on her properties in Becerril and La Jagua de Ibirico.

Family María Concepción Loperena was born in Valledupar, Viceroyalty of New Granada (now, Colombia), 12 February 1775. She was the daughter of the Spaniard, Pelayo Loperena, and María Josefa Ustáriz, from Valledupar. He served as Sergeant Major of the King's militias in the Government of Santa Marta Province. His father, Pelayo Loperena De Ponce y Carrión, arrived in the New Kingdom of Granada with the order of Captain of the Militias and advisor to the Government of Santa Marta. Governor De Paredo y Salcedo sent Pelayo Loperena to Valledupar in order to attend to the organization and collection of taxes and to serve at the same time as Prosecutor in the cases against some Spaniards for abuses against the indigenous Coyaimas people. Pelayo Loperena De Ponce y Carrión and his Spanish wife, María de la Trinidad de Molina y Zúñiga, decided to stay in the New Kingdom of Granada. to attend realengos, organize encomiendas, and taxes. He founded cattle ranches in Becerril and La Jagua de Ibirico. María Concepción Loperena took charge of these assets after becoming a widow.

Revolution of 1812 In 1812, María Concepción Loperena was the first to form a revolutionary environment in Valledupar. She sent her son, Pedro Norberto Fernández de Castro Loperena, with powers to deal with the then President of Cartagena, Manuel Rodríguez Torices, and receive instructions on the independence movement from Spain. She met with " El Libertador" Simón Bolívar in the town of Chiriguaná to carry out independence plans in Valledupar and the surrounding region. On the orders of Simón Bolívar, she organized and declared the act of independence of the city of Valledupar on February 4, 1813, at 10:00 in the morning. That same day, María Concepción Loperena granted freedom to hundreds of slaves that she kept on her estates in La Jagua de Ibirico and Becerril.