Francisca Carrasco Jimenez

Francisca Carrasco Jiménez (Taras, April 8, 1816 - San José, December 30, 1890) ―popularly known as Pancha Carrasco― was a Costa Rican peasant, heroine of the country for her participation during the National Campaign of 1856-1857.

Biography

Personal life

Francisca Carrasco Jiménez was born on April 8, 1816 in the village of Taras, on the banks of the Reventado River, into a family of mestizos and mulattos, daughter of José Francisco Carrasco Méndez and María Trinidad Jiménez. She married (and was widowed) three times, the first in 1834 with Mario Solano, the second with Espíritu Santo Espinoza, and the last with Gil Zúñiga.

Pancha Carrasco's life was difficult and hard; However, she faced these situations with a brave, determined and willing attitude, achieving a fundamental place in the history of the defense of freedom and national sovereignty.

The first news of his participation in Costa Rican politics dates back to May 29, 1842, the date on which Costa Rica was experiencing a time of political instability during the presence of General Francisco Morazán, a leader whose forces were made up of Central Americans who wanted the union of the isthmus.

Facing the power of Morazán, mounted on horseback and in the company of several men, Carrasco instigated the people to fight them. The incident amounted to nothing more than a commotion, but on that occasion she showed great courage in opposing them. The day after this event, a popular movement broke out that ended Morazán's government.

Participation in the National Campaign

During the 1850s, Costa Rica and the other Central American countries faced a new political crisis due to the invasion of the American William Walker to Nicaragua and his idea of taking the rest of the isthmus. In 1856, Juan Rafael Mora Porras, president of Costa Rica, launched a proclamation calling on the people to mobilize and demonstrate their patriotism by taking up arms to expel the invader Walker.

In 1856, at the age of 40, Carrasco enrolled as a soldier in the national army to combat the filibusters.

The passion emanated by the historic proclamations of President Mora Porras touched the hearts of the Costa Rican people and their pride. Pancha Carrasco did not hesitate to abandon everything. She and she marched alongside the troops, becoming a more Costa Rican woman who took an active part in the battles that the country held.

As part of the troop, Pancha was assigned tasks considered at that time as belonging to women: taking care of the kitchen, mending, washing, and caring for the wounded. After having traveled the entire journey on foot from San José to Guanacaste, she continued with the troops north and arrived in Nicaragua. In the Battle of Rivas, which demanded a very high quota of blood from the Costa Rican group, Pancha Carrasco took up the rifle and took part in the fight established for the possession of a cannon in the hands of the enemy. The chronicle narrated later by General José Joaquín Mora Porras, commander in chief of the Costa Rican army, states that Francisca was responsible for the recovery of the cannon by shooting down the chief in charge of the weapon with a rifle shot, causing the filibusters to rout. who defended him.

Then he lived the whole terrible drama of the cholera epidemic. He returned on foot to Costa Rica alongside General José María Cañas, caring for the sick along the way, consoling the terminally ill and burying the dead.

When in the last weeks of 1856 the Costa Rican government considered it necessary to recover the military posts on the Vía del Tránsito, still in the hands of the invading troops, Pancha again accompanied the soldiers. He marched through jungles, swamps and swamps to the San Juan River and the Great Lake of Nicaragua. Costa Rican troops were gaining ground in the area, until William Walker surrendered.

When tranquility returned, President Mora Porras organized a public recognition for the army officers, whom he decorated. Francisca Carrasco, who had stood out as a courageous patriot, also received that honor.

Recognitions and death

After his participation he retired to live in his house in Puebla in the city of San José. Being an elderly woman on her own, she had to ask for a pension from the Government, which assigned her an amount of 15 pesos per month. She died on December 30, 1890.

After the death of Francisca Carrasco, a national mourning was declared and military honors corresponding to the rank of Division General were paid to her.

In 1994 the Legislative Assembly declared her “Defender of National Liberties.” On March 8, 2012 she was declared a National Hero. From that day on, the office of the Presidency of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica bears the name of Pancha Carrasco.

In 1997, a school was founded in Guadalupe de Cartago in his honor.

On March 8, 2012, he was declared Benemérita de la Patria.