Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi was a heroine of Venezuela’s War of Independence who still inspires me every day, even though she might not be very known world wide. Arismendi had a love for Venezuela so profound that she even gave away her freedom for the independence of her country.
Due to the uprisings triggered by the Declaration of Independence, she had to get married at the young age of fifteen because her family was assassinated in the war. She decided to fight for her country, which led to her spending four years in jail, even given birth to her first child while imprisoned.
I chose this woman as my first “Inspirational Woman of the Week” because she is someone I truly look up to; in the harsh situation my country is in right now, she reminds me a little bit of myself – loving her country and believing in its potential. No matter the situation it was in, nothing made her more happy or proud than being a Venezuelan woman.
Her actions remind me that anything is possible, even the hardest things we can imagine, if we work hard for them and never let go of our ideals. In the dark crisis Venezuela finds itself in today, her story illustrates to me that there is light at the end of the tunnel – if we fight for change, then the dark times will only be temporary.
Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi is an inspiration, not only for Venezuelan women, but for every woman in the world, because she is an example of bravery, love of liberty and, above all, a passionate commitment to fighting for justice. And I think the world we live in needs more women like that.