Policarpa "La Pola" Salavarrieta (26 January 1795-14 November 1817) was a Neogranadine seamstress and spy during the Colombian War of Independence.
Biography[]
Apolonia Salavarrieta was born in Guaduas, Cundinamarca, Viceroyalty of New Granada. She worked as a seamstress before becoming a spy for the patriot cause during the Colombian War of Independence, using the pseudonym "Policarpa" to get in and out of Bogotá. She served the families of Royalist officers and overheard conversations, collected maps and intelligence on their plans and activities, identified the Royalist leaders, and smuggled food to imprisoned Patriots, and she and her brother secretly recruited young men to the revolutionary cause. She was arrested after Alejo Sabarain was captured with a list of Royalists and Patriots given to him by Policarpa, and she was executed by firing squad on 14 November 1817.