The decisions initially taken were the following: On December 17, 1819, the union of Venezuela and New Granada was declared and the Repblica de Colombia was born. But civil war followed. Led by visionary radicals such as Simn Bolvar and Francisco de Miranda, Venezuela was the first of the South American Republics to formally break away from Spain. After the fall of the Second Republic, the patriot leaders took refuge in the islands of the Caribbean Sea, especially in Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti and Curacao. In the Supreme Congress of Venezuela there were two warring factions: the separatists and the fidelists. The importance of the documents drafted by Antonio Jos de Sucre, in what meant his first diplomatic action, was the temporary paralyzation of the fights between the patriots and the royalists, and the end of the War to the Death initiated in 1813. "Spaniards and Canary Islanders, count on death, even if you are indifferent, if you do not actively work for the freedom of America. From that moment on, the conditions of captivity worsen and the possibility of freedom vanishes when the patriots fail in an attempt to assault the fortress. The signature of president Hugo Chvez was added to an exhibited copy of the document on May 31, 2013, by the Maduro administration, as an homage to the former president. In 1806 Francisco de Mirandawho had earlier fought under George Washington against the British, served as a general in the French Revolution, and fought with the French against Prussia and Russiatried unsuccessfully to land on the Venezuelan coast with a group of mercenaries whom he had recruited in New York City. Venezuela, in the late 18th century and early 19th century, was an economic powerhouse as well as an intellectual hub for Latin America. The example of the American Revolution was fresh in the minds of these young patriots, who wanted freedom and their own republic. On the 20th, the Colombian army crosses the Tinaco river and on the 23rd Bolvar reviews his forces in the Sabana de Taguanes. At this moment, Ribas ordered the Rompelneas columns to attack the enemy right column, which was successfully executed. The Capital of Venezuela would be Caracas. Spain declared war on the United States on April 24, followed by a U.S. declaration of war . The Armistice of Santa Ana allowed Bolivar to gain time to prepare the strategy for the Battle of Carabobo, which secured Venezuelan independence. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The historical period between 1810 and 1830 has been divided by Venezuelan historiography into four parts: First Republic (1810 -1812), Second Republic (1813 -1814), Third Republic (1817-1819), and Gran Colombia (1819 -1830). It allowed the return of the charismatic Francisco de Miranda, vaulted Simn Bolvar, Jos Flix Ribas and other patriot leaders to fame, and set the stage for the true independence that followed. The city erupted into chaos once more. Today, Venezuela celebratestwo independence days: April 19, when Caracas patriots first declared a provisional independence, and July 5, when they formally severed all ties with Spain. Cuman is liberated on August 3, 1813, by Mario; Bolvar enters Caracas on August 6. What was the effect of Venezuela declaring independence from Spain? He lived in Kingston from May to December 1815, a time he dedicated to meditation and reflection on the future of the American continent in view of the situation regarding the destiny of Mexico, Central America, New Granadaincluding present-day PanamaVenezuela, Buenos Aires, Chile and Peru. Meanwhile, Bolivar deployed his divisions in battle to resume the attack. In the opinion of some historians, Boves took advantage of the social resentment existing in this group. The governors of the three Departments would also be called vice-presidents. During her stay in Cadiz, she refused to sign a document in which she declared her loyalty to the King of Spain and denied her husband's patriotic affiliation, to which she responded that her husband's duty was to serve his country and fight to liberate it. Bogota: Planeta, 2009. In 1827, the Gran Colombian union (to which Quito, today Ecuador, had adhered in 1823) entered into crisis and the efforts of Bolivar and some others to stop the disintegration were of no avail. When Pez rebelled in 1848, Monagas defeated him and forced him into exile. She is presented before the captain general of Andalusia, who protests against the arbitrary decision of the Spanish authorities in America and gives her the category of confined, after she pays a bond and commits herself to appear monthly before the judge. When the USS Maine sank, the United States believed the tragedy was the result of Spanish sabotage and declared war on Spain. The Republic of Gran Colombia, with its capital at Bogot, was proclaimed on December 17, 1819, with Bolvar as president. Monteverde withdraws to Puerto Cabello and Bolvar returns to Caracas after sending Urdaneta against Coro. The following year he is named Supreme Chief. [26], The accuracy of the date is disputed since although all reports indicate that the date of the military action was April 2, Paez himself quotes in his autobiography that it occurred on April 3, 1819, in the current state of, Declaration of Independence of the United States, Supreme Conservative Junta of the Rights of Fernando VII, Supreme Central and Governing Junta of Spain and the Indies, Federal Constitution of the States of Venezuela of 1811, Campaign for the Liberation of New Granada, "5 de julio 1811 - Da de la Independencia", "Decreto de guerra a muerte de Simn Bolvar", "Campaas terrestres de la guerra de independencia de Venezuela", "Participacin de Bolvar en la gesta emancipadora. The first years of the nineteenth century were turbulent ones in Europe, particularly in Spain. In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and put his brother Joseph on the throne, throwing Spain and its colonies into chaos. Consequently, he ordered the divisions to modify their march on the left and go to the royalist right flank, which was uncovered; that is to say, Bolivar conceived a maneuver tending to overflow the enemy right wing, operation executed by the divisions of Jos Antonio Pez and Cedeo, while the Plaza division followed the road towards the center of the defensive position. Unable to return to Venezuela, Luisa arrives in Cadiz. Morillo administered the region in a heavy-handed fashion, however, and many of the Creole elites who had initially supported him soon conspired for his defeat. Harvey, Robert. Before long, Bolvar had driven the Spanish out of the region and amassed a large army, Impressed, the civilian leaders in Cartagena gave him permission to liberate western Venezuela. The Congress declared Venezuela's independence on 5 July 1811, establishing the Republic of Venezuela. Two days later, the matter was resolved when Congress voted to officially declare independence 40-4. Although the Letter was originally addressed to Henry Cullen, it is clear that its fundamental objective was to call the attention of the most powerful liberal nation of the 19th century, Great Britain, so that it would decide to get involved in the American independence. In exchange, the royalists would respect people and goods. The pro-independence army advanced from San Carlos to Tinaco covered by the advance of Colonel Jos Laurencio Silva, who took the royalist positions in Tinaquillo. Here fought the battalion that in the past day of Barquisimeto was punished by the Libertador, denying him the name and the right to carry the flag. It proclaimed that all Spanish persons who did not actively participate in favor of independence would be killed, and that all Americans would be pardoned, even if they cooperated (passively) with the Spanish. With this declaration, Venezuela became the first independent republic of Spanish America, and the fire of that declaration, fueled by external conflict, would spread the ideals of independence throughout all of the lands of Latin America. On July 11, 1811, six days after the Declaration of Independence, two insurrections broke out, the asonada de la Sabana del Teque of the Canary Islanders in Caracas[8] which was quickly brought under controland the insurrection of Nuestra Seora de la Anunciacin de la Nueva Valencia del Rey. Bolvar decided to send on September 30 the troops of Girardot, Urdaneta and D'Elhuyar, who finally managed to dislodge the royalists, but paying a high price, with the sacrifice of Colonel Girardot, who died when he was hit by a rifle bullet while trying to fix the national flag on the conquered height, during the Battle of Brbula. As the sessions of the Congress went on, the idea of independence gained followers in the heart of the Congress. During the royalist attack, Francisco Toms Morales took possession of the sugar mill while one of his columnsgoing down the Los Cucharos rowtook the "high house". Chile's Independence Day: September 18, 1810, Biography of Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan Leader, How Latin America Gained Independence from Spain, The Complete Story of Venezuela's Revolution for Independence, The "Cry of Dolores" and Mexican Independence, Biography of Simon Bolivar, 'Liberator of South America', Biography of Jos Francisco de San Martn, Latin American Liberator, Biography of Ignacio Allende, Champion of Mexican Independence, Queen Isabella II of Spain Was a Controversial Ruler, attempt to start a revolution in Venezuela in 1806. For example, in 1811, Venezuela's representatives declared "that these united Provinces are, and ought to be, from this day, by act and right, Free, Sovereign, and Independent States." The Texas declaration of independence (1836) likewise followed the American in listing grievances and claiming freedom and independence. By the time Simn Bolvar led his Admirable Campaign, the country no longer had a dependence on its Spanish colonizers, and independence was inevitable. (2023, April 5). The Declaration lasted until November 26, 1820, when the Spanish general Pablo Morillo met with Bolivar to declare the war of independence as a conventional war. In January of 1809, a representative of the Joseph Bonaparte government arrived in Caracas and demanded that taxes continue to be paid and that the colony recognize Joseph as their monarch. Coron nuestras cumbres de gloria cuando Ribas la espada blandi, y a su homrico afn La Victoria con sangre opresora sus campos reg." On January 8, 1813, he occupied the city of Ocaathe second in importance in Norte de Santander, after Ccutaafter having left the free passage in the Magdalena Medio, thus obtaining the navigation between Bogot and Cartagena. On April 19, 1810, Venezuelan Creole patriots held a meeting in Caracas where they declared a provisional independence: they would rule themselves until such time as the Spanish monarchy was restored. The triumphs of the republican forces commanded by Arismendi in Margarita and by General Jos Antonio Pez in Apure determined that Brigadier Mox ordered the transfer of Luisa Cceres de Arismendi to Cadiz, for this reason she was taken again to the prison of La Guaira on November 24, 1816, and embarked on December 3. [24] The authorities of the Republic decreed a naval blockade of the coasts of the country, the entrance to Lake Maracaibo was forced by Admiral Padilla on May 8, 1823, and after several limited actions the decisive battle took place on July 24, 1823, resulting in a complete Colombian triumph.