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On this day in 1909, the iconic Ecuadorian communist, Indigenous leader, and feminist icon, Tránsito Amaguaña, was born.

Amaguaña's early life was rooted in the struggles of Indigenous workers on a ranch in the Ecuadorian countryside. In an era when peasants and workers were effectively bound to landowners as if they were slaves, she began working at just seven years old. At 14, she married an older man and became a mother at 15, eventually having four children with her alcoholic and abusive husband. Breaking norms of the time, she divorced him after the birth of her fourth child, a revolutionary decision for an Indigenous woman.

Becoming active in the Ecuadorian Socialist Party, Amaguaña emerged as a leader in the Indigenous movement against the powerful agrarian elite. Her participation included leadership in 26 Indigenous marches known as the "marches of Quito." She played a significant role in the historic 1931 Olmedo strike, the first strike by Indigenous people in Ecuador's history. During this period, her home was destroyed, forcing her to live in hiding for 15 years due to the threat of political persecution.

In 1944, she contributed to the founding of the Ecuadorian Indian Federation, and from 1946 onwards, she advocated for establishing bilingual Spanish-Quechua schools for rural children. 1961, she joined the Communist Party of Ecuador and traveled to Cuba and the USSR. Upon her return, she was unjustly accused of arms trafficking and imprisoned for four months.

Amaguaña continued her activism into her old age and passed away at 99, leaving a legacy of unwavering dedication to the rights and empowerment of Indigenous people and the working class.

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