Dolores Veintimilla: So what if I say…?

Abstract

Dolores de Veintimilla was born in Quito in 1829 and on May 23, 1857 she decided to die in the Andean city of Cuenca, when her 28th birthday was approaching. Despite the brevity of her life and works, some authors consider her the most important Ecuadorian writer of the 19th century or as the initiator of the romantic movement in this country. In addition to her great literary virtuosity, language fused with raw emotion, she dealt with subjects that could be considered totally forbidden for the ladies who lived at that time, she bared her sensuality and desire, shouted her longings and her loneliness. Likewise, critics recognize her fortitude in defending the rights of vulnerable groups such as women and indigenous people. In fact, she herself had to defend herself from the offensive rumors of a conservative and Catholic society that did not forgive her for her extra-home activity. In this opportunity, texts in prose and verse have been gathered, as well as a letter in which she defends her honor and the text that cost her life: her criticism of the death penalty.