Captured in bronze the figures tell a silent story. This is the story of Los Últimos Charrúas. The monument stands here in El Prado. It is on Avenida Delmira Agustini.
Los Últimos Charrúas represents a tragic chapter. It embodies the story of the last four survivors. They were from the Charrúa people. The survivors were victims of the Massacre of Salsipuedes. This massacre was in April 1831. General Rivera’s militia carried it out.
The four Charrúas were Senacua Senaqué, Vaimaca Pirú, Guyunusa, and Tacuabé. They were taken to France. They were exhibited as exotic savages.
The monument depicts these figures. They wear their traditional clothes. They gather around a fire. A cauldron sits over the flames. Senaqué sits to the left. He holds a mate cup. Vaimaca stands behind him. Guyunusa sits nursing a child. Tacuabé is in front of her.
Edmundo Prati, Gervasio Muñoz, and Enrique Lussich created this sculpture. It was unveiled in 1938. The monument is a national historic landmark.
The artists based their work on an image. It was from a Parisian advertising brochure. The brochure was published in 1833. It was a reproduction of Arthur Onslow’s engraving.
Vaimaca Pirú was a warrior chief. He fought for José Gervasio de Artigas. He later served under Fructuoso Rivera. At Salsipuedes, he witnessed the massacre. He is said to have asked Rivera about his soldiers killing friends. Vaimaca was mummified after his death in France. His remains were returned to Uruguay.
Guyunusa was not Charrúa. She was Guinoan. She was already pregnant when taken to France. Tacuabé joined the group later. He was brought in chains.
The monument commemorates state violence. It remembers the ethnocide. It was committed against indigenous groups. It forms part of the Centenario program. This program sought to integrate marginalized groups. These groups included Afro-descendants, indigenous people, and immigrants. It was a conciliatory discourse.
Los Últimos Charrúas is more than bronze and granite. It is a memorial. It stands for resilience. It speaks of loss. It reminds us of the past. It encourages reflection. It makes us think about justice. It challenges us to remember.