Luis Vargas Torres

On November 27, he returned to Ecuador with Colonel Jose Martinez, Medardo Alfaro, José Gabriel Moncayo and other liberal revolutionaries, bringing with them about 200 rifles with ammunition bought by Vargas Torres.

Vargas Torres served as deputy at the Convention convened by President José Maria Placido Caamano, which met in Quito from 11 October to April 26, 1884.

These were court-martialed in Cuenca and the principal leading rebels condemned to death: Colonel Vargas Torres (of Esmeraldas), the lieutenant colonels Filomeno Pesantez (Santa Rosa, El Oro), Pedro Jose Cavero (Loja) and Jacinto Nevarez (Manabi) and master sergeants Manuel M. Piñeiros (Guayaquil) and Rafael Palacios (Esmeraldas).

On the eve of his execution Vargas Torres was assisted to escape from prison, but – realizing that he alone would succeed in absconding – returned to face his punishment in support of his less fortunate comrades-in-arms.

Early the next morning, dressed smartly in black and with impressively dignified comportment, he refused a blindfold and glared intently at his executioners as they discharged the fatal volley.