José María Córdova Muñoz, also known as the "Hero of Ayacucho", was a General of the Gran Colombian army during the Independence War of Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia from Spain.

Cordova received a very basic education since his family did not belong to the elite, although it is known that he learned to read and write thanks to Manuel Bravo Daza.

Shortly after he received the rank of sub-lieutenant, and was made aid-de-camp of Colonel Manuel de Serviez, a French officer in the service of the Republic.

From there in he took part in the Venezuelan War of independence fighting under Colonel Jose Antonio Paez in 1816 and at the end of June 1817, began to serve under General Simón Bolívar, supreme chief of the patriotic forces.

Colonel Córdova was then appointed head of the expedition that was to reinforce the forces of General Jose Antonio Sucre in their campaign to liberate the Real Audiencia de Quito (modern day Ecuador).

In this action Córdova was noted by his courage and valor as his battalion was able to break the Spanish lines and contribute to the patriot victory which led the liberation of Ecuador and its incorporation into Gran Colombia.

He later took part in the campaign to defeat the royalist guerrillas in southern Colombia that were be led by the Indigenous leader Agustín Agualongo.

[1] The son of Crisanto de Córdova y Mesa, a small merchant active in the east of Antioquia who had also been pedáneo mayor, and Pascuala Muñoz Castrillón, the couple had four other children: Salvador, Vicente, Venancia and Mercedes.

Córdova's military career began in 1814, when he joined the newly formed Engineer Corps in the province of Antioquia, which had just been established by Colonel Francisco José de Caldas in Medellín.

Once the counter offensive by the Spanish troops began in 1815, Serviez was appointed as commander in chief of the Army, while Córdova continued to serve him as his aide.

By early 1816, after taking command of the forces that had been defeated by the Spanish at the Battle of Cachirí back in February 1816 and with only a limited number of troops, Serviez knew it would pointless to mount a defense of the capital Santafe and made the decision to retreat with what was left of the army to Casanare Province in the Llanos Orientales.

[6] Along with Córdova, other important officers also joined them in their retreat such as Colonel Francisco de Paula Santander, Antonio Morales, Tomas Mantilla, and Jose Maria Vergara.

[7] During their retreat, the Patriot army was chased after by Brigadier Miguel de la Torres's troops up until the town of Pore where they managed to shake off their enemy.

Colonel Jose Antonio Páez, a native of the llanos known of for his tenacity and the respect he commanded amongst the Venezuelan llanero cavalry.

[9] Cordova remained by Serviez's side and took part in the Battle of El Yagual on October 9, 1816, the Patriot victory allowing the combined Neogranadine and Venezuelan army to take control of the town of Achaguas.

The death of Serviez was a large blow to Córdova, who placed the blame on Paéz and would forever hold a grudge against him expressing this years later in a letter written to Santander in 1826 when Páez led an insurrection against Gran Colombia expressing his views on the Lion of Apure by saying "What good can come from the man who ordered the assassination of General Serviez, the one who disobeyed the Liberator repeatedly in campaigns of 18' and 19'"[10]Fed up with Paéz, Córdova requested a passport to travel to Guyana where General Simon Bolívar had his army.

Thus in August 1818, Bolivar promoted Colonel Santander to brigadier general and made him commander of the Vanguard Division of the Liberator Army dispatching him with some officers to the llanos of Casanare in New Granada with a number of rifles and supplies with the goal of raising troops for the upcoming campaign.

After many months of preparation, Bolivar decided to begin the campaign on May 23, 1819 marching from Venezuela to join with Santander's army in Casanare.

Córdova who had been promoted from captain to lieutenant colonel on February 14, 1819, would take part in the campaign as divisional chief of staff of Brigadier General Jose Antonio Anzoátegui's Rearguard Division.

[11] Taking part in the difficult marches across the flooded llanos and the grueling crossing of the eastern Andes through the Páramo de Pisbá.

On January 17, 1822 Colonel Córdova along with 800 veteran troops of the Bajo Magdalena campaign departed Cartagena for Panama and after crossing the isthmus continued their journey to Guayaquil.

The Alto Magdalena battalion suffered heavily and was left with only 190 troops, and only 160 survived by the time they finally reached Sucre at Latacunga.

Córdova commanded the Magdalena battalion who at the start of the battle tried flank the enemy’s right, but due to the heavy fire they received and the favorable ground that the royalists had occupied, they were forced to abandon this attempt and withdrew back to the main line and were placed in the reserve.

As the battle continued the republican troops were unable to break the royalist line as they employed their superior firepower to keep them at bay.

The next day Cordova was able make the Cataluña battalion surrender as well, as they had come marching south from Pasto to assist Aymerich and were unaware of his defeat.

Córdova dismounted from his horse and put himself in front of his entire division, Voltígeros, Pichincha and Bogotá battalions, in addition to Caracas, which until then had not fought.

The republicans had triumphed and after lengthy negotiations, the next day on the morning of December 10 the royalists surrendered to General Sucre, the battle marked virtual the end of the Spanish Empire in South America save for a few isolated garrisons.

Córdova continued south into Bolivia, and commanded the newly formed armed forces in the country during the formation of the government, and remained through 1827.

He had clearly expressed his opposition and discontent with General Simón Bolívar proclamation as Dictator of Colombia and he was under investigation for the conspiracy of the "Noche Septembrina" of September 25, 1828.

As homage for his actions and in his memory the department of Córdova in Colombia, the Colombian army's military officer's academy and the Medellin International Airport in Rionegro are all named after him.