Pedro Domingo Murillo (1757-1810) came from an elite La Paz family. On July 16th 1809 he led a group in rebellion against the Spanish authorities, one of the first uprisings against Spanish rule in South America. The rebellion was put down and he was captured and hanged in the square on 29th January 1810; ultimately though it led to Bolivian independence. The monument was erected in 1909 when the plaza was remodelled.