Playwright and actor
Novelist
Writer and poet
Volleyball player
Italian-Peruvian naturalist and geographer
Singer and percussionist
Last Inca emperor
Politician, former prime Minister
Journalist and TV host
Poet
Inca warrior
Actor and comedian
Biophysicist
Poet
Doctor and researcher
Businessman, Interbank group
Journalist and writer
Poet and writer
Singer and songwriter
Writer
Film director, Berlin Golden Bear winner
Football player
Writer and journalist
Doctor and scientist
Photograph
Chess player
Industrialist
Former general
Specialist in public health
Actress and singer
Afro-Peruvian music singer
Mathematician and engineer
Indigenous chronicler
Neurologist and anthropologist
Painter
Football player
National hero, military leader
Intellectual and reformer
Chef and entrepreneur
Fashion designer
Singer-songwriter
TV presenter
Marathon runner
Indigenous Peruvian chronicler
Theologian
Former national team captain
Economist and former health minister
Inca princess
Writer and television host
Folk musician
Poet and guerrilla
Former UN secretary-general
Chef, known for fusion cuisine
Football player
Peruvian aviation pioneer
Poet and artist
Marxist philosopher and writer
Industrialist and businessman
Novelist and ethnologist
Painter and muralist
Opera tenor
Fashion designer
Cardinal of Lima
Peruvian tennis player
Football coach
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Military hero
War of the Pacific hero
The youngest mother in history
Politician
Creole music singer
Tennis player
Musician
Writer and politician
Politician and founder of the Christian Democratic Party
Founder of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae
Archaeologist and anthropologist
Military leader and politician
Television host
Actress and singer
Contemporary sculptor
Women’s rights activist
Beauty queen
Astrophysicist
Heroine of independence
Mathematician and archaeologist
Historian and anthropologist
Military figure and historical figure
Fashion photographer
Writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Politician
Revolutionary leader
Environmental activist
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Musician from Gaia band
War hero
Military leader and politician
Chef, known for Nikkei cuisine
Volleyball coach and former player
Environmental activist
Television personality
Writer
Football player
Epidemiologist and former health Minister
Inventor and aerospace pioneer
Soldier and inventor
Rock singer
Chef and co-owner of Central restaurant
Painter
Football player
TV presenter and actress
Actor
Writer and historian
Journalist and lawyer
Archaeologist, founder of Caral site
Monk and Saint
Saint, patron of Latin America
Physicist and engineer
World champion surfer
Actress
Oncologist
Singer, Latin Grammy winner
Former mayor of Lima
Singer
Actress
Former football player
Painter
Former football player
Painter
Inca leader
Archbishop, saint
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Revolutionary indigenous leader
Diplomat and intellectual
Sculptor and painter
Political leader, founder of APRA
Lawyer and Former prime minister
Chef of Central restaurant
Former head of secret services
Popular singer
Fashion designer
Exotic music singer
Mateo García Pumacahua (1740-1815) was a Peruvian revolutionary leader who played a crucial role in the resistance against Spanish colonization. Pumacahua, initially a loyal ally of the Spanish crown, became a symbol of Peru's fight for independence. His legacy is remembered for his bravery and his shift in loyalty in defense of freedom.
Mateo Pumacahua was born in Chinchero, near Cusco, in 1740. He was a descendant of a noble Inca family, which granted him the title of cacique. For much of his early life, Pumacahua was an ally of the Spanish colonial authorities, serving as a local indigenous leader and facilitating the crown's administration of the region.
Throughout much of his life, Pumacahua supported the Spanish and played a key role in suppressing the rebellion of Túpac Amaru II in 1780. Due to his knowledge of Inca culture and his influence over the local population, the colonial authorities relied on him to quell the uprising, solidifying his position as a regional leader.
However, over time, Pumacahua began to change his allegiance. By the early 19th century, growing tensions between the criollos and the Spanish, along with the influence of independence movements in Latin America, led Pumacahua to reconsider his position. In 1814, during the Cusco rebellion, he joined the insurgents, marking a radical shift in his political career.
The 1814 rebellion, also known as the Great Southern Rebellion, was an uprising led by Mateo Pumacahua and other local leaders, such as the Angulo brothers. This movement sought Peruvian independence and was one of the most significant uprisings before the final war for independence. Pumacahua, utilizing his military experience and knowledge of the region, led the rebel troops to several initial victories, including the capture of Cusco.
Despite these early successes, the rebellion faced strong resistance from royalist forces. In 1815, after several battles with the Spanish troops, the insurgents were defeated. Pumacahua was captured and, after a swift trial, sentenced to death. He was executed on March 17, 1815.
Despite his execution, Mateo Pumacahua's legacy endures as a symbol of Peruvian resistance against colonial oppression. His life represents the shifting mindset of many indigenous leaders who initially supported the colonial regime before realizing the need to fight for independence. Pumacahua is remembered as a national hero who sacrificed everything in pursuit of freedom.
Mateo Pumacahua was a leader whose life embodies the complexities of colonial Peru. Moving from being an ally of Spanish authorities to becoming a passionate defender of Peruvian independence, his legacy serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made in the fight for freedom. Although he did not live to see Peru's independence, his actions helped pave the way for the country's eventual liberation in 1821.