José Olaya
José Silverio Olaya Balandra (1789 – 29 June 1823) was a fisherman, open water swimmer and Peruvian hero in the Peruvian War of Independence in 1822 - 1823.
Biography
In the struggle for the independence of Peru, Olaya acted as secret emissary carrying messages between the Government of Callao and Lima Patriots by swimming. He was discovered, arrested and subjected to torture and sentenced to death. Despite the torture, he never revealed his mission and willingly swallowed the letters assigned to the mission. The independence of Peru, first declared in Huaura in November 1820 and 28 July 1821 in Lima had become effective only in Lima and in the north, but Cuzco, the central highlands and south were still under the rule of the royal army.
Olaya, a fisherman by trade, did not hesitate to serve as a link between the ships of the squadron Liberator (formed by units of the Republic of Chile) and the soldiers of the patriotic forces (Argentina, Chile and Peru) located in Lima, even if it meant walking across fields and swimming in the sea.
Imprisoned by the royal army, he was tortured in order to obtain information about the patriotic forces, but he was not frightened of pain. He suffered two hundred lashes of the whip and two hundred beatings with sticks, not yielding even after they tore out his nails. Finally, on the morning of 29 June 1823 he uttered the phrase, ""Si tuviera mil vidas, gustoso las perdería antes de denunciar a los patriotas o traicionar a mi patria [If I had a thousand lives, I would gladly give them for my homeland]."
Namesakes
- The Avenida Jose Olaya in Lima, Callao, Chorrillos and Villa María del Triunfo, Peru are named after him.
- The 22 km Travesía Ruta Olaya in Lima Bay, Peru from Pescadores Beach in Chorrillos to Cantolao Beach in Callao is named after him.
