Inés Suárez

There aren’t many images of Ines. She was born in Spain around 1507.  In 1537 she sailed to South America in search of her husband who had sailed with Pizarro to the New World.

Unfortunately by the time she reached Lima a year later (after much searching in South America) she found out her husband was dead. Because she was the widow of a Spanish soldier she was given a small plot of land in Cuzco, on the western coast of South America, and encomienda rights. Encomiendas were grants of a number of native people for the person to care for as well as reap the benefits of their labor.

At the same time Ines became the mistress of Pedro de Valdivia, the conquerer of Chile. Valdivia, being a conquerer was soon headed south to seek out new land to claim for Spain and he requested permission for Ines to join him and 12 other Spaniards.

Ines was an excellent person to have on one’s side! The journey was hard and she tended to the sick as well as finding water (in a desert no less!) and saving Valdivia from a rival’s plot to undermine his trip and take his life. A year after they left Cuzco they arrived at their destination, a valley of the Mapocho River where Valdivia was to set up a capital. It was fertile with plenty of water…as well as lots of natives.

Valdivia tried to buy them off with gifts, but they attacked him anyway. It was looking bad when the Indians suddenly turned and fled. Captives said they saw a man on a horse with a sword in the sky. The Spaniards decided it was a miraculous vision of St. James (Santo Iago) and the territory was named Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura.

Ines discovered and took care of another plot to take down Valdivia. While he was out of town in 1541 the captain who had been left in charge of the city got word that they were surrounded by natives. They had a few captive chieftains so he asked Ines if they should release them as a goodwill gesture. She said no, they could be used as a bargaining tool later. He listened to her and declared war.

The battle went on all day and all day Ines tended to the wounded and brought water and encouragement to the fighters. She knew the men were tired and discouraged. All day the captives had been egging their side on so she proposed that they decapitate all 7 of them and throw their heads out to scare the natives. Several men didn’t agree with her but she insisted that was their only recourse then rode to the house where they were being held. She told the guards to execute them and when they asked how she said, “In this manner” grabbed his sword and decapitated them all herself.

After their heads were thrown out to the natives she put on chain mail, a helmut and cloak and rode out to encourage the Spaniards to keep fighting. Fight they did and it’s been said that the Indians said the Spanish would have lost that day if not for the woman on the horse.

Ines continued to live with Valdivia until he was taken to court before becoming Royal Governor. One of the charges was that he was married but living openly with Ines. He was forced to give her up, find a husband for her and bring his wife to Chile. His wife didn’t arrive until after his death in 1554.

Ines was married to Valdivia’s captain Rodrigo de Quiroga in 1549, when she was 42 and he was 38. They lived a quiet happy life, he was Royal Governor of  Chile twice before they died within months of each other in 1580.