Maria de la Cruz was reputedly born on 3 May 1890, she adopted the name Amanda Aguilar as a revolutionary and then later adopted the name Petrona Hernández López for her own protection.[1] Her family lived in poverty in a rural area.[2]
López was a member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and fought for Nicaraguan independence against the Somocista dynasty from the 1930s until 1979.[1] In 1961 her whole family joined the FSLN.[3] She had three children, two of whom were killed by the dictatorship.[4] Two of her brothers, Juan and Esteban Hernández, were also killed: they were thrown from an aeroplane.[4] Her mother, María Venancia, was also part of the revolutionary struggle.[4] In the 1920s they both collaborated with Sandino against the occupation by US Marines.[5]
López died on 14 February 2007. After her death, president Daniel Ortega paid tribute to her heroism in the war.[6] At her death she was considered the oldest woman in Nicaruagua.[7] She was buried in El Carmen, Rancho Grande, at the church of the Assemblies of God.[8]
During the 1960s many women from the municipality of El Cuá organised themselves so that they could support the guerrillas.[3] In 1968, the area was attacked by the Somocista National Guard: the men were killed and the women were imprisoned.[3] The National Guard wanted to obtain information about guerrilla activity, but the women refused to collaborate, as a result nineteen of these women were raped and tortured.[6] These nineteen became known as the Women of the Cua.[3] After six months of imprisonment, rape and torture they were released.[4] Her mother, María Venancia, died during captivity.[9] Upon release, López was spoke out about their experience, which shocked public opinion.[2] López was the oldest member of the group, and became known as their leader.[10] Other members included: Gladys Baez, Gloria Martinez, Doris Tijerino, amongst others.[11]
In 2019 The Women Militants of the FSLN “Amanda Aguilar” were established as a campaign group for gender equality with the organisation, named after Lopez's revolutionary alias.[13]
^González-Rivera, Victoria, 1969- (2011). Before the revolution : women's rights and right-wing politics in Nicaragua, 1821-1979. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 152. ISBN978-0-271-05058-4. OCLC779849909.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
