Encarnación Ezcurra | |
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 Encarnación Ezcurra portrayed byGarcía del Molino andMorelc. 1835. She wears a red ribbon on her hair, a symbol of theFederalist Party, as well as the fashionablepeinetón. | |
| Born | María de la Encarnación Ezcurra (1795-03-25)March 25, 1795 |
| Died | October 20, 1838(1838-10-20) (aged 43) |
| Resting place | San Francisco convent |
| Nationality | Argentine |
| Known for | Revolution of the Restorers |
| Political party | Federal party |
| Spouse | Juan Manuel de Rosas |
| Children | Pedro Pablo, Juan Manuel, María,Manuela Rosas |
| Parent(s) | Teodora de Arguibel and Juan Ignacio Ezcurra |
María de la Encarnación Ezcurra (March 25, 1795 – October 20, 1838) was an Argentine political activist, wife ofJuan Manuel de Rosas.[1][2][3][4]
She was the daughter of Juan Ignacio Ezcurra and Teodora de Arguibel. She marriedRosas on March 16, 1813. She became her husband's most faithful follower, helping him in many difficult circumstances. In 1833–1834, her husband was away fromBuenos Aires leading an army in theDesert Campaign to extend Argentina's frontier. She was the driving force behind theRevolution of the Restorers, and was the president of theMazorca, an organization which acted as a secret police.[5][6]
The Revolution of the Restorers unseatedJuan Ramón Balcarce the governor of the Buenos Aires. The Mazorca put pressure on every government worker to vocally campaign for the return of de Rosas. This forced the provincial legislature, theBoard of Representatives, which had the power to designate governors, to regard her husband as the only option to restore social order in the province.[7]
After the triumph of her husband in theDesert Campaign (1833–34), and with her success in securing the governorship for him, the people gave her the title ofHeroine of the Holy Federation. It is particularly notable that at that time prejudices against women participating in politics ran high, yet Ezcurra achieved great responsibilities and a considerable following.
She died unexpectedly at the age of 43. Even today historians dispute the cause of her death although many believe that she died ofcardiac arrest or a similar condition. Her death, however, caused great grief among the people and the political establishment. Twenty five thousand participated in her funeral procession fromel Fuerte to the Convent of San Francisco, where she was buried. That would have represented 40% of the total population living in Buenos Aires at the time. The funeral costs were paid for by the Board of Representatives, whom Rosas formally thanked on November 1, 1838.
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