Victoriano Lorenzo Troya

Victoriano Lorenzo was a Panamanian politician and general who fought for the Liberals during the Thousand Days' War. As an indigenous chief in the Coclé province, he campaigned for the land rights and representation of indigenous people, and after becoming an elected official outside of Penonome he participated in the state political structure. During the Thousand Days' War, a civil war in Colombia between the Liberal Party and the government of Colombia, Lorenzo commanded troops of indigenous fighters for the Liberals. After the defeat of the Liberals at the end of the Thousand Days' War, Lorenzo and his followers insisted on continuing to fight, for which Lorenzo was executed on May 15, 1903. Lorenzo's execution precipitated the secession of Panama from Colombia and led to his status as a national hero in Panama.