It is believed she was of peasant origin, was born around 1750, and lived most of her life in Villa del Socorro, Santander, where she ran her own small grocery store, at the main square of Socorro; at the time, in the Viceroyalty of New Granada, it was very uncommon for a woman to own her own business.

Besides, Beltran was one of the few people in the region that could read and write, given the virtually complete illiteracy of the population due to the absence of education facilities.

Their mission was to form the "Main body of landing columns and ship's soldiers tasks" in a time when boarding was still a critical part of battle at sea.

These military actions demanded a large amount of money and resources, which resulted in larger taxations for the people living in the colonies.

She tore apart the document and led the strike action which extended to over sixty cities and towns in the Andean Region of Colombia and Llanos.