Ecuador on Sunday commemorated the August 2, 1810 massacre in Quito, when royalist troops killed between 200 and 300 people, including independence leaders and civilians.
The killings came after armed Quiteños tried to free imprisoned patriots amid rumors they would be executed. Just before 2 p.m., cathedral bells signaled two groups to storm the Royal Barracks and the Prison, freeing several captives without resistance. A third group failed to reach the Santa Fe Barracks as planned, giving Spanish forces time to respond.
Among those killed were Juan Salinas, Juan de Dios Morales, Manuel Rodríguez de Quiroga, Antonio and Juan Pablo Arenas, and José Riofrío.
The massacre followed the First Cry of Independence of August 10, 1809, when Quito patriots proclaimed the First Autonomous Government Junta. Manuel Ruiz Urriés de Castilla, president of the Royal Audience of Quito, had ordered the arrest and trial of the movement's leaders.
