The history of our country always praises its heroes -Grau, Bolognesi, Olaya, Cáceres- but almost never gives the same space and devotion to its heroines, perhaps as a lag unaware of the macho idiosyncrasy that still governs large sectors of Peruvian society. Only a few names like Micaela Bastidas and María Parado de Bellido are part of the collective imagination, but there were many others, whose names today immortalize educational institutions in Lima and the provinces. This is the case of the protagonist of this new installment of “And who was it?”, a courageous mother, wife of the Sorcerer of the Andes. Although the mere mention of her name refers to the memory of General Andrés Avelino Cáceres , Doña Antonia's life is valuable and inspiring in its own right, as evidenced by reading her memoirs published in 1974 by the Milla Batres publishing house, Recollections of the Breña campaign , in which she played a fundamental role as protector of her children and collaborator of her husband. And who was Antonia Moreno de Cáceres ?
Antonia Moreno Leyva de Cáceres , was born in Ica, June 13, 1848 and died in Lima, February 26, 1916. Daughter of Don Fulgencio Moreno and Doña Antonia Leyva, she directed together with her husband, the General of the Peruvian Army and later National Hero Andrés Avelino Cáceres Dorregaray , the resistance in the central highlands (Campaña de la Breña) against the occupation of Chile during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883).
She was born in the Ica district of San Juan Bautista, into a family with deep roots in that region. When she was 15 years old, she traveled to Lima, where shortly after she met the young Andrés Avelino Cáceres , recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel for his outstanding performance in the war against Spain. After a brief romance, they married in 1867 and settled in the city of Ayacucho.
Around 1872, Doña Antonia inherited a large house in the center of Lima and moved with her entire family to the capital. Her daughters Zoila Aurora, Lucila Hortencia and Rosa Amelia were born here.
In April 1879, Chile declared war on Peru, and her husband marched to the southern border to defend the country. Unfortunately, our Army could not prevent the Chileans from invading Tarapacá, Moquegua, Tacna and Arica. And in January 1881 the invaders took Lima.
Andrés Avelino Cáceres he fought in almost all the battles and went to the central highlands to organize the resistance. Dona Antonia and her daughters followed her path and accompanied her husband and her father, who was already known as Sorcerer of the Andes , during the hard days of the Breña Campaign.
Doña Antonia She, with unparalleled intrepidity and audacity, takes an active and leading part in this war, leading the patriotic resistance battalions on several occasions. The indigenous peasants called her Mamacha Antonia , thus expressing her admiration for her total dedication to the cause of national defense.
At the end of the war she returned to housework, while her husband assumed the Government of Peru. She also accompanied him into exile and on diplomatic missions in Europe. She finally settled in Lima, where she died on February 26, 1816.
she is the only woman who, along with her husband, is buried in the Crypt of the Heroes of the Master Priest Cemetery . She had to give herself a special Act of Congress for this to happen.