May 24: Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Pichincha in 1822 which secured the independence of the then Royal Audience of Quito, Ecuador today.

The Battle of Pichincha was fought on the slopes of Pichincha volcano, near the city of Quito, under the command of the Venezuelan General Antonio José de Sucre, who entered the next day with his troops to the city of Quito.

Abdon Calderon, Ecudorean national hero.

Sucre agreed the surrender of the Spanish army established in the territory, and commanded by Marshal Melchor Aymerich.

Battle of Pichincha, 24 May 1822. Context of The Spanish American War of Independence.

Lieutenant Abdon Calderon was born in Cuenca, Ecuador in 1804, and 18 years old carried the flag with courage, and always with the glorious cry of Viva la Patria and ¡Viva la Independencia! He was shot to death and became in Ecuadorian history as a hero of Independence and young Lieutenant of Marshal Sucre.

National Holidays: 24th of May – Battle of Pichincha

With the victory of Pichincha Sucre facilitates the incorporation of the Gran Colombia Ecuador. Simón Bolívar is going to Quito and June 16th triumphantly entered the city to incorporate Ecuador to The Great Colombia.

Location of Ecuador in South America

“Sucre’s rag-tag army of approximately 1,700 consisted of a number of Ecuadorians, Colombians sent by Bolívar, a troop of British (mainly Scots and Irish), Spanish who had switched sides, and even some French. In February, they were reinforced by 1,300 Peruvians, Chileans and Argentines sent by San Martín.”

See: http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/thehistoryofecuador/p/battlepichincha.htm