Our colleague, Belen de los Santos, joins us for this special segment on the bicentennial of the Battle of Ayacucho. teleSUR
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00:38Welcome.
00:39With Bolívar and Sucre in command,
00:41the Patriot forces began to reorganize.
00:44This process was not easy since the morale of the army
00:47had been affected by some defeats,
00:50the lack of resources,
00:51and the continuous political divisions.
00:53However, Sucre, with his leadership skills
00:55and discipline, managed to unify the troops
00:58and prepare the soldiers for combat.
01:00After overcoming a scenario full of challenges,
01:03the Patriots understood that the victory in Ayacucho
01:05would depend on their preparation,
01:07discipline, and morale.
01:09Antonio José de Sucre, the young general
01:11in charge of this heroic deed,
01:13faced with astuteness and determination
01:16the arduous task of reorganizing
01:18the United Liberating Army.
01:20Now we go to our correspondent Rafael Infante,
01:22who, from the Pampas of Ayacucho,
01:24takes us back in time to detail
01:26how the Patriot forces prepared
01:28for this decisive confrontation.
01:31We are in the days before the Battle of Ayacucho.
01:35We are in the days before the Battle of Ayacucho.
01:37Here, in these Andean Heights,
01:40were days of arduous training and preparation
01:42under the leadership of General Antonio José de Sucre
01:44were limited.
01:46The United Liberating Army was composed
01:48of approximately 6,000 soldiers,
01:51coming from Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru,
01:53among other nations.
01:54This army was a mixture of experienced combatants
01:57who had participated in previous campaigns
02:00and recruits who had just joined the fight.
02:03They faced a formidable enemy, the Spanish,
02:06led by Viceroy José de la Serra,
02:09had 9,000 armamentally experienced soldiers.
02:12Mil soldados bien armados y con mucha experiencia.
02:17With such a significant numerical difference,
02:20how did Sucre's army prepare for this decisive confrontation?
02:24How did Sucre handle the situation,
02:26specifically knowing that he had to face a larger army
02:29which had more resources?
02:32Sucre sabía que la clave estaba en la moral.
02:34Sucre recognized that moral and strategy
02:37were the key to victory.
02:39He knew the maintenance training of Ayacucho to perfection,
02:42a factor he would use to his advantage.
02:45He organized exercise training exercise
02:47to prepare the troops both physically and mentally.
02:50Tanto física como psicológicamente.
02:53En una carta clave, Sucre expresó...
02:56In a key letter, Sucre expressed the importance
02:58of this collective effort when he wrote,
03:01the American peoples have demonstrated today
03:04that they are worthy of the freedom
03:06for which they have fought so long.
03:09He also promoted a sense of unity and purpose among his men,
03:12reminding them that this battle was not only military,
03:16but also moral.
03:18It was the final fight
03:19for the independence of all South America.
03:22El campamento de Sucre era un lugar de intensa actividad.
03:25Sucre's camp was a place of intense activity.
03:28In addition to training,
03:30complex tactical plans were drawn up
03:32to divide the enemy and minimize their numerical superiority.
03:37For his part, Simón Bolívar was in Lima
03:40working on diplomacy and securing resources.
03:44In a letter to Santander on March 16, 1824,
03:48Bolívar made a statement
03:50Bolívar made clear the strategic importance
03:52of the victory in the South.
03:54To leave a door open as big as that of the South
03:57when we can close it, will be unforgivable.
04:00Sur, cuando podemos cerrarla, sería imperdonable.
04:04Esta cita no solo refleja la urgencia...
04:07This quote not only reflects Bolívar's urgency,
04:09but also his confidence that Sucre and the liberating army
04:12will fulfill this historic and transcendent mission.
04:15Histórica y trascendente.
04:18Sucre was not only a military strategist,
04:21but also a leader who knew how to inspire his men.
04:24Tell us more about how he strengthened the spirit
04:27of his troops in the face of such decisive campaign.
04:31El liderazgo de Sucre era ejemplar.
04:35Sucre's leadership was exemplary,
04:37despite being physically exhausted.
04:40As he mentioned in letters describing his health problems,
04:43he never failed to demonstrate confidence before his men.
04:47In addition, the diversity of the army was seen as a strength.
04:51Among the troops were liberated Afro-descendants,
04:53indigenous people, and creoles.
04:56For many of them, victory meant not only the independence
04:59of their countries, but also a personal
05:01and collective vindication.
05:03Dependencia de sus países,
05:04sino también una reivindicación personal y colectiva.
05:09Bolívar y Sucre sabían que este...
05:11Bolívar and Sucre knew that this was more than just an army.
05:15It was a symbol of the unity of the Hispanic American peoples.
05:19This spirit of struggle and hope
05:21would be decisive in the victory.
05:24On December 8, 1824, Sucre's troops arrived
05:28in the vicinity of the Pampa de la Quinua.
05:30They camped that night with the firm conviction
05:33that the next day, the destiny of all South America
05:36would be decided here, on the high plains of Ayacucho.
05:39Se decidiría aquí, en los altiplanos de Ayacucho.
05:45The preparation of the liberating army
05:47was as crucial as the battle itself.
05:49The praetors not only enlisted physically,
05:52but they also strengthened their spirit
05:53to face an enemy superior in numbers.
05:56Now we move to the most important day of the campaign,
05:59the dawn of December 9, 1824,
06:02when the Pampas of Ayacucho became the scene
06:04of the final victory.
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