Ayopaya

Ayopaya lies in the rugged country between the Bolivian altiplano and the eastern valleys. Steep ridges and ravines divide its settlements, while streams descend towards the forested lowlands. This difficult terrain provided shelter and routes for mobile fighters during the wars of independence in Upper Peru.

From 1811 guerrilla bands operated across Ayopaya and neighbouring Sicasica against royalist forces. After the defeat of the third army sent from the Río de la Plata in 1815, the fighters continued with considerable independence. The guerrilla territory crossed several different colonial jurisdictions, and its leaders organised their bands among communities drawn into the conflict. Their struggle lasted until 1825, when José Miguel Lanza led his forces into La Paz as Spanish authority in the region collapsed.