HIST362: Modern Revolutions

María Antonia, however, was not constrained by propriety and the social mores of the times as she took on non-traditional roles and responsibilities for Bolívar during the 1820s. Given the extent of the family fortune, he found it necessary to entrust her with the management and disposition of his estates and mines during his absence from Venezuela. The preservation and protection of family properties and interests were of supreme importance to elite families. The Bolívar's wealth derived from two sources: the copper mines at Aroa that came to him through Francisco María de Narváez who, in turn, acquired them from the king, and houses in Caracas and haciendas in the valleys of Yare, Taguaza, and Macaira, along with a substantial number of slaves that he inherited from his godfather el canónigo Doctor Don Juan Félix Jérez de Aristeguieta.44 To expedite matters, he gave María Antonia power of attorney over the Aroa mines in 1824 and instructed her to rent them, pending his approval of the contract.45 Thus, Bolívar trusted her to carry out his wishes, but he had the final say in business matters. María Antonia promptly rented the mines to British entrepreneurs John D. Cochrane and Robert Lowry. Bolívar requested that she keep a strict accounting of the rental money, as some of it was to be retained for the litigation and the rest to be distributed to pensioners and friends.46

The rich mines of Aroa proved to be a long standing problem for Bolívar and María Antonia. The mines had been abandoned by Juan Bolívar in 1804 and had been taken over by two women, María de la Cruz Uruia and Francisca Sagazasu, who continued mining operations there throughout the war.47 Simón Bolívar's attempt to reclaim them resulted in a lawsuit between the parties that dragged on in the courts for years. The lawsuit over the mines and the sale of the mines filled the siblings' correspondence.

As early as 1825, Bolívar decided to sell the mines, and he authorized María Antonia to advertise the sale. He hoped that he could interest British investors in buying them. The selling price was 200,000 pounds sterling, the proceeds of which would be deposited in a London bank where they would have access to the money. Both he and María Antonia contemplated living abroad after he retired from public life, and they needed a nest egg to support themselves.48  A discovery of gold, which proved to be false, and silver at the mining site in 1825 increased their value and made their sale more urgent.49

Two years later, in 1828, with the lawsuit still pending, Bolívar asked María Antonia to pay 3,000 pesos to the families to end the litigation, then find a judge who would confirm him as the sole owner, and ready the mines for sale.50 He ordered her to send the deeds to London, to transfer the power of attorney to her son-in-law, Gabriel Camacho, and to cover drafts, all of which she failed to do. Frustrated by her delay, he transferred his power of attorney to Camacho.51 He berated María Antonia for ignoring his orders and for her unwillingness to complete the transactions. In February 1829, he again transferred his power of attorney, this time to Lino Clemente52 who was to handle the pending sales contract in London.53 Although María Antonia's lack of diligence in this important matter did not create a major rift between them, he acknowledged that she had made mistakes in handling the sale of the mines. Furthermore, he asserted that women were normally not involved in business dealings. He wrote: “For this reason, I have transmitted my power of attorney to others who understand better than you do. Let them work and do not meddle in anything, especially in paperwork and for that I will remain grateful to you."54 This is the last extant communication that Bolívar had with his sister over the mines. In 1832, two years after Bolívar's death, the issue was settled; the mines were sold to a British firm by María Antonia, her sister Juana and Bolívar's niece, all heirs of the Liberator's estate.55

María Antonia was responsible for managing and collecting rents from Bolívar's numerous plantations and houses as well as the Aroa mines. She requested power of attorney in these matters as she was unable to make decisions or carry out Bolívar's orders without it. By 1825, she received the power of attorney, but she still relied on Bolívar for advice and directions concerning his properties.56 One of her first duties was to inventory each plantation to assess expenses and profits. María Antonia anticipated acquiring enemies with her new responsibilities and did so as her Uncle Feliciano refused to cooperate with her request to review the accounts of the Chirgua estate prior to her receiving the power of attorney. She reported that the haciendas at Tuy, Macaira, and Araguita were not producing enough to cover their costs, and by 1828 she considered selling the San Mateo plantation as well.57 The lack of draft animals, the loss of slave labor, and the fevers that decimated the remaining work force reduced productivity, created shortages, and reduced profits. Despite these adverse conditions, María Antonia pursued her own business interests and purchased a sugar mill at Marrero. She asked Bolívar for a loan of 5000 pesos to pay for the mill.58

Bolívar's urban properties in La Guaira were in a state of disrepair and María Antonia took steps to have them repaired; however, she encountered the wrath of her sister Juana who had to find other quarters when Bolívar ordered that her house be vacated. Furthermore, Juana laid claim to the La Guaira property, although it legally belonged to Bolívar. Despite receiving 150 pesos a month from her brother, she was not content. María Antonia begged him to settle the matter (Boletín de la academia de la historia 1933).

Simón Bolívar entrusted María Antonia with the distribution of pensions and gifts from his estate to needy widows, relatives, and friends. She gave 40 pesos to his nurse Hipolita,59 150 pesos to the widow of Doctor Francisco Paúl,60 200 pesos, to the widow Valero, 300 pesos to the widow of Simón Carreño61 and monies to his impoverished cousins Luisa and Josefa Bolívar. She took charge of the education of their nephew, Fernando Bolívar that the Liberator funded.62  In turn, María Antonia requested monies from Bolívar for good causes that she supported. She asked him for 1000 pesos to repair the roof of the church of the Holy Trinity that had been damaged by the 1812 earthquake. She had pledged that amount if he survived the war, but in her current impoverished state she could not afford to fund her bequest.63

Although María Antonia did not share Bolívar's political views during the wars for independence, once Venezuela was liberated she supported his military campaigns in Peru and his presidency of Gran Colombia. She believed that only he could save Venezuela and triumph over his enemies. When his portrait was finished, it was carried in a military procession through the streets of Caracas to the cathedral where a Te Deum was celebrated, and it hung in her home where visitors could see it (Boletín de la academia de la historia, 1933).