Carlos de Montúfar y Larrea-Zurbano (Quito, November 2, 1780 - Buga, July 31, 1816) was a Creole nobleman and soldier considered one of the liberators of current Ecuador.

[4] He was appointed in Cádiz by the Supreme Central Board as royal commissioner for the Court of Quito, with broad autonomy from the viceroys of Peru and New Granada, in order to calm the rebel tumults.

He participated in the formation of the State of Quito, which declared itself independent from Spain and promulgated its own Constitution, under the Presidency of Bishop José de Cuero y Caicedo.

Montúfar took charge of the military defense of the new State and entered into combat with the forces of Toribio Montes, Melchor Aymerich and Juan de Sámano.

Upon arriving in Panama, he managed to flee and joined the Liberation Army in New Granada, where he reached the rank of colonel and fought in the southern area of present-day Colombia, where the Royalist forces of Toribio Montes and Juan de Sámano sowed death and destruction.