Jose Silverio Olaya Balandra patriotic martyr He was born in 1782 in the town of San Pedro de Chorrillos, a fishermen's ranchería and, simultaneously, one of the most famous spas of the time. He is the son of José Apolinario Olaya and Melchora Balandra. He apparently served the liberating cause from a very young age, since it is said that as early as 1820 he carried liaison messages between Chorrillos and the ships of the liberating squad that had just arrived on the Peruvian coast, under the command of the British sailor Thomas Cochrane.
His father died in 1822 and the following year he met Juana de Dios Manrique , who also supported the cause of emancipation and whose name would serve as a cover for secret communications between the patriots. In June 1823, after the defeat of the liberating army in the battles of Torata and Moquegua , Lima was occupied by the royalist troops of General José Canterac and the independent government had to take refuge in the castles of Real Felipe, as did the forces of the liberating army under the command of General Antonio José de Sucre . It was absolutely necessary to reestablish communication between those besieged in Callao and the patriots in Lima, in addition to knowing the movements of the enemy occupation army. In such a circumstance, Andrés Riquero , former chief accountant and uncle of Juana de Dios Manrique, suggested to Sucre the possibility of using the experience and proven value of José Olaya for such a mission. , who because of his job made continuous trips between the town of Chorrillos and the island of San Lorenzo, and would not arouse any suspicion.
Capture of José Olaya
On June 27, 1823, when he was carrying a letter from Sucre to Narciso de la Colina, the fisherman was discovered -it is said that as a result of someone giving him away- and captured on the street of Acequia Alta. Subjected to indescribable torture by Brigadier Ramón Rodil, governor of the capital, he refused to reveal the names of those involved in the communications. Before his resolution, two days later, on June 29, he was shot in the alley of Petateros , located next to the Plaza de Armas in Lima, which today bears the name of the martyr. It is said that, before dying, he addressed his captors saying:
If I had a thousand lives, I would gladly give them for my country .
In merit of his exemplary conduct, José Olaya is honored to this day as patron of the Army Communications arm.