Amelio Robles Ávila

Amelio Robles Ávila (3 November 1889 – 9 December 1984) was a colonel during the Mexican Revolution. Born female with the name Amelia Robles Ávila, Robles adopted a male identity to fight in the Mexican Revolution, rose to the rank of colonel, and lived as a man until death 70 years later.

Early life
Robles was born in Xochipala, Guerrero to Casimiro Robles and Josefa Ávila. Casimiro Robles was a wealthy farmer who owned 42 acres of land and owned a small mezcal factory. Robles had two older brothers Teódulo and Prisca. Robles was 3 years old when her father died and her mother married Jesús Martinez, who was a worker that was dedicated to livestock. Her mother and Jesús had 3 more children, Luis, Conception and Jesús Martínez Avila. Robles and her siblings were raised in the Catholic religion. Robles helped in forming part of the Society for Mary's daughters. Robles studied up until the fourth grade at the school for young ladies in Chilpancingo.

From a young age, Amelia showed an interest in activities that were not the norm for women at her age, learning to ride and tame horses and handling weapons. Even before joining the army, she was treasurer in a Maderistas club in Xochipala, which was suspected to have been formally started after the fall of Porfirio Díaz.

Between August and November 1911, Robles took a commission to travel to the Gulf of Mexico with the purpose of obtaining money from the oil companies for the revolutionary cause.

Army life
Robles chose to enlist in the army instead of agreeing to an arranged marriage set up by her mother. Robles joined the army when General Juan Andreu Almazán passed through Xochipala in 1911 as pressure mounted against Porfirio Díaz to resign as president.

Between August and November 1911, Robles was sent to the Gulf of Mexico in a Commission in order to obtain money from oil companies for the revolutionary cause. Two years later, Robles began to dress as a man and demanded to be treated as such. From 1913 to 1918, Robles fought as "el coronel Robles". with the Zapatistas under the command of Jesús H. Salgado, Heliodoro Castillo, and Encarnación Díaz.

There is evidence now that shows Robles was not alone as a person born female presenting as male in the Mexican army at the time. Maria de la Luz Barrera, Zapatista and Petra/ Pedro Jiménez all adopted a male identity during the war.

In 1924, Robles supported General Alvaro Obregón against the Delahuertist rebellion under the command of General Adrian Castrejón, where the Delahuertista general Marcial Cavazos died and Robles was hurt.

Following the military phase of the Revolution, Robles supported revolutionary general Álvaro Obregón, president of Mexico 1920–1924, during the 1924 rebellion of Adolfo de la Huerta and in 1939 supported Almazán in the presidential election.

In 1948, Robles received the medical certificate required to officially enter the Confederation of Veterans of the Revolution. The medical revision confirmed that Robles had received six bullet wounds.

Awards
In 1970, the Mexican Secretary of National Defense recognized Robles as a veteran of the Revolution.

Toward the end of Robles's long life, Robles received various decorations acknowledging distinguished military service: a decoration as a veteran of the Mexican Revolution and the Legion of Honor of the Mexican Army. In 1973, Robles received the title of Mérito revolutionario.

Personal life and death
According to historian Gabriela Cano, Robles adopted a male identity not as a survival strategy but because of a strong desire to be a man. Robles' male identity was accepted by family, society, and the Mexican government, and Robles lived as a man from the age of 24 until death.

Robles met Angela Torres in Apipilulco in the 1930s, and they later married. They adopted a daughter together, Regula Robles Torres.

On her deathbed Robles made two requests, that she receive honors for her military service and that she be dressed as a woman in order to commend her soul to God.

Robles died December 9, 1984, aged 95.