Monteverde is defeated and wounded. Scheina, Robert L.Latin America's Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899Washington, D.C.: Brassey's Inc., 2003. Unable to return to Venezuela, Luisa arrives in Cadiz. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. 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. Santos Molano, Enrique. History of Latin America - The independence of Latin America The Mantuanos, who constituted the most powerful social group of the society, led an attempt to constitute a Governing Board to govern the destiny of the Captaincy General of Venezuela as a result of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon. There would be a vice-president who would replace the President in his absence. 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. Bolivar took advantage of the momentary disorder that occurred among the attackers and launched a counterattack, with which he recaptured the "high house". Many Spanish colonies, still loyal to the deposed King Ferdinand, did not know how to react to the new ruler. [7] On July 3, the debate began in Congress. Llaneros and blacks also deserted the royalist cause and joined Bolvar, whose army was further augmented by a legion of British and Irish mercenaries; the new republican government of Haiti also sent aid. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to thePresent. A cavalry corps was assigned as a reserve. It also constructed new roads to promote domestic commerce and facilitate coffee and cacao exports. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/venezuelas-declaration-of-independence-2136398. After the elections, 44 deputies were elected to Congress. General Pez returned in 1861 to restore Conservative hegemony for two years, but in 1863 final victory went to the Liberals, led by the generals Juan Falcn and Antonio Guzmn Blanco. He subdued ambitious provincial caudillos and ruled in cooperation with the large landholders and leading merchants of the Conservative Party. On December 3, 1813, Simn Bolvar learned that the royalist forces (3500 men), under the command of Brigadier Jos Ceballos, had met with those of Jos Yez in the village of Araure in the State of Portuguesa; and by virtue of this, he ordered all the forces that were in El Altar and Cojedes to concur to the concentration that would take place in the town of Aguablanca. The Battle of Carabobo was a combat between the armies of the Great Colombia led by Simn Bolvar and that of the Kingdom of Spain led by marshal Miguel de la Torre and it occurred on June 24, 1821, in the Sabana de Carabobo. Alarmed Spanish officers in Venezuela called for a cease-fire, which was agreed to and lasted until April of 1821. The equality of citizens before the law was established in the Federal Constitution of 1811. A new constitution in 1872 proclaimed representative government, suffrage for all males, and direct election of the president. [7] Independence was approved with 40 votes in favor. On the 28th of the same month took place what today is known as the Battle of Ccuta, which gave independence to this city. Quiz. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962. Revolutionary leaders recalled him to Gran Colombia four years later to take charge of a ruling junta, which drafted a constitution and established an independent nation. Opinions on the character of the independence process are not unanimous. The document marked a milestone in international law,[20] because Sucre set the worldwide humanitarian treatment that since then the defeated began to receive from the victors in a war. At this moment, Ribas ordered the Rompelneas columns to attack the enemy right column, which was successfully executed. In the capital, he receives orders to go to Calabozo to support Montilla, which results in the defeat of Boves in Mosquiteros on October 14. President Crespo appealed to the United States, and in 1895 U.S. president Grover Cleveland pressured Britain to arbitrate. The cavalry covered the 2 flanks of the device. The immediate effect of that concession was to send the Portuguese ruler, Prince Regent John, fleeing in British ships to Brazil. During the period from 1814 to 1819, Venezuela was devastated by rovingroyalistand patriot armies that fought one another and occasionally amongst themselves. He was told to harass the Spanish along the Magdalena River. When Boves realized that his column had been enveloped, he left his center precipitously and perished in the clash. This Treaty was signed for six months and obliged both armies to remain in the positions they occupied at the time of its signing. Then, with the permission of the secretary general, Francisco Isnardi, Mendoza and Roscio presented the document to Congress for discussion. The following year he is named Supreme Chief. 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. A month after her imprisonment, one night she hears a loud alarm and realizes that an assault on the barracks is being prepared. On August 30, 1821, Gran Colombia, a conglomerate of recently freed countries formerly part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada (including modern-day Colombia and Venezuela . The resulting government became known as the First Venezuelan Republic. In spite of the setbacks suffered by the expeditionaries and by the Libertador himself in Ocumare, the historical importance of the Expedition of Los Callos lies in the fact that it allowed Santiago Mario, Manuel Piar and later Jos Francisco Bermdez to undertake the liberation of the eastern part of the country, and MacGregor with Carlos Soublette and other leaders to definitively enter Tierra Firme, to open the way to the definitive triumph of the Republic. On September 24, his wife Luisa Cceres de Arismendi, who was pregnant, is taken hostage to subdue her husband and locked up under surveillance in the house of the Arns family, days later she is transferred to a dungeon of the Castillo Santa Rosa in La Asuncin. Meanwhile, exiled patriot leader Francisco de Miranda returned, and young radicals such as Simn Bolvar, who favored unconditional independence, gained influence. It was ratified by Congress on July 7, 1811 with 43 votes for and one vote against, and recorded in the Congress's Book of Minutes on August 17, 1811, in Caracas. Luisa remains seated night and day without moving so as not to attract the attention of the guard. That day is celebrated in Venezuela as its national day. The Second Venezuelan Republic fell in mid-1814 and Bolvar once again went into exile. Venezuela - Countries - Office of the Historian In one of those battles, near Barquisimeto, the republicans faced the royalists led by Jos Ceballos on November 10. . The war originated in the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain, which began in February 1895. . Still, the nation was in ruins and there was a military stalemate between the patriots and royalists. Independence from Spanish rule in South America - Khan Academy The Venezuelan independence was the juridical-political process that put an end to the ties between the Captaincy General of Venezuela and the Spanish Empire. The call for the Congress was made in June. On June 29, Bolvar's troops entered Caracas. From Caracas, he sent lieutenant colonels Toms Montilla to the plains of Calabozo that were threatened by Boves and Vicente Campo Elas to pacify Valles del Tuy, where a rebellion had broken out. 1. cause of Venezuela declares independence from Spain. Venezuela was ripe for Independence long before other South American regions. 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. The Letter from Jamaica is a text written by Simn Bolvar on September 6, 1815, in Kingston, in response to a letter from Henry Cullen in which he explains the reasons that caused the fall of the Second Republic in the context of the Venezuelan Independence. The provinces were represented as follows: Caracas 24 deputies; Barinas 9; Cuman 4; Barcelona 3; Mrida 2; Trujillo 1; Margarita 1. The electoral regulations were census-based as they gave the vote to free men, over 25 years of age (or over 21 if married) and owners of 2000 pesos in real or personal property. In the disorder that followed, the patriots embarked hastily, leaving on the beach most of the park they had, as well as 600 men under the command of Gregor MacGregor. Liberal mismanagement and increasing political chaos provided an opportunity for the Conservatives, now led by Jos Tadeo Monagas, to return to power in 1868. The elections were held between October and November 1810. 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. This first successful rebellion in Venezuelas national history set off five years of revolutionary turmoil between the Liberals and Conservatives. [7] On July 5, the vote was taken. Garca de Cerna triumphs over Reyes Vargas in Cerritos Blancos while in Puerto Cabello, Urdaneta and Girardot took the fortresses of Viga alta, Viga baja, and the outer town. This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 04:55. Modern Flag of Venezuela Recognition 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. On July 5, 1811, the ruling junta voted in favor of complete Independence from Spain - their self-rule was no longer dependent on the state of the Spanish king. "Nuestras armas, por siempre triunfales, humillaron al fiero espaol, del clarn a las voces marciales que oy en sus montaas la tierra del sol. The war continues with two parallel campaigns, unconnected but effective, one from the East, commanded by general Santiago Mario, known as the Eastern Campaign, and another from the West, commanded by Bolvar, known as Admirable Campaign. 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. The independence of Venezuela produced the armed conflict known as the Venezuelan War of Independence between the independence army or Patriotas ("patriots") and the royalist army or Realistas ("royalists"). Wealthy young nobleman Simn Bolvar financed the mission to London. For that reason, the Junta called for elections to install a Constituent Congress before which it could decline its powers and decide the future fate of the states. The Supreme Congress of Venezuela was installed on March 2, 1811, in the house of the Count of San Javier (present "El Conde" corner in Caracas). The republicans were defeated due to the lack of coordination among the army. She gets hope for a triumph of her own, but at dawn, when all is calm, she hears only the wailing of the dying and wounded from the fray. By October of 1812, Bolvar was ready to rejoin the fight. 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. Guzmn Blanco was the popular choice for president in the 1873 election. 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. The April 19 pronouncement was not the first of its kind in Latin America: the city of Quito had made a similar pronouncement in August of 1809. Chile's struggle for independence is known as the period in which Chile became a separate country from Spain. Other revolutionary leaders viewed this action with contempt, and Miranda was subsequently turned over to the Spaniards, who sent him first to Puerto Rico and later to Spain, where he died in prison in 1816. The republic of Venezuela celebrates its independence from Spain on two different dates: April 19, when an initial declaration of semi-independence from Spain was signed in 1810, and July 5, when a more definitive break was signed in 1811. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. His six-year rule was troubled by continued political turmoil, growing economic difficulties, and the nations first serious diplomatic problema dispute with Great Britain over the boundary between eastern Venezuela and western British Guiana. Once the first Republic was over, the main political and military leaders of the Independence went into exile. Guzmns new liberal newspaper, El Venezolano, demanded abolition of slavery, extension of voting rights, and protection for the debtor classes. This intervention of Bolivar allowed the break of the enemy front, action that produced great confusion inside the defensive position, with the consequent triumph of the republicans. Guzmn Blanco came back again in 1886 to serve a final two years in the face of growing popular opposition to his policies. The most feared royalist force was the "Infernal Legion" of tough-as-nails plainsmen led by cunning Spaniard Tomas "Taita"Boves, who cruelly executed prisoners and pillaged towns that had formerly been held by the patriots. The conflicts were extremely bloody, and control of the central government changed hands several times. The defeat at Lake Maracaibo made Morales' position untenable and he capitulated on August 3. [4] The Provinces of Coro and Maracaibo remained loyal to the Council of Regency.[4]. Venezuelas Declaration of Independence in 1810. [23] Some 24,000 people left Venezuela for the Caribbean islands, the United States or Spain. Historians mark the battle of Maturn, on December 11, 1814, as the end of the Second Republic. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. What was the effect of Venezuela declaring independence from Spain? The Venezuelan patriots had disembarked on the coast of Aragua and from there they divided into several columns penetrating through the jungle and reaching Maracay, but the offensive launched by Francisco Toms Morales in response to the disembarkation pushed them back to the beaches. ThoughtCo, Apr. In breach of the agreement with Miranda, he began a repression against the patriots in order to prepare the ground for the execution of his plans to invade the Republic of New Granada, which had been declared independent from Spanish power. These principles were enshrined as a constitutional principle for the new nation and were radically opposed to the political, cultural, and social practices that had existed during three hundred years of colonization. He departed for Europe in 1877, leaving a puppet successor in charge, but when the opposition rebelled, he returned to crush it and resumed the presidency in 1878. The political and strategic difficulties force Bolvar to suspend the "Barcelona Campaign", from there he leaves for Guayana where Manuel Piar was, leaving the forces of Barcelona under the command of general Pedro Mara Freites. Morillo informs Bolivar about the unilateral ceasefire of the Spanish army and the invitation to confer an agreement to regularize the war. Many deputies supported it with passionate pleadings, others with historical arguments. It was accepted by the provinces of Caracas, Barinas, Cuman, Barcelona, Mrida, Margarita and Trujillo; but not by the provinces of Maracaibo, Coro and Guayana. In 1807 the Spanish king, Charles IV, granted passage through Spanish territory to Napoleon 's forces on their way to invade Portugal. The Spanish harassment began throughout the territory of the republic, for some months he and his family live in the outskirts of La Asuncin under the espionage and the pressure that the Spanish authorities maintained on the sympathizers of the patriot cause in the island. An international tribunal handed down a decision in 1899 that failed to satisfy Venezuelas demands. Rafael Mara Baralt describes him as cruel and bloodthirsty for the application of the law of talion with which he responded to Bolvar's actions. Americans, count on life, even if you are guilty.". The hostilities were initiated by Boves, when he went out with his column to confront the one commanded by Colonel Bermudez, who was able to reject the attack. The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence (Spanish: Acta de la Declaracin de Independencia de Venezuela) is a document drafted and adopted by Venezuelan on July 5, 1811, through which Venezuelans made the decision to separate from the Spanish Crown in order to establish a new nation based on the premises of equality of individuals, abolition of censorship and dedication to freedom of expression. In these encounters the Battle of Araure stands out, in which Simn Bolvar defeated Jos Ceballos. In the ensuing war with royalist forces, however, Miranda signed an armistice with Spain. In the Supreme Congress of Venezuela there were two warring factions: the separatists and the fidelists. Las Queseras was the greatest triumph of General Pez's military career, in recognition of the brilliant action, Bolvar decorates him with the Order of the Liberator the following day. A fascinating man, he was friends with Alexander Hamilton and other important international figures and even was the lover of Catherine the Great of Russia for a while. 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. You have taken from the enemy flags that at one time were victorious; the famous invincible call of Numancia has been won."[14]. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Backed by their personal armies, a series of warlordlike caudillos (leaders) assumed power, which they exercised for their personal benefit rather than for that of the nation. Spanish General Miguel de la Torre combined his armies and met the combined forces of Bolvar and Pez at the Battle of Carabobo on June 24, 1821. 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". What was the effect of Venezuela declaring independence from Spain? Introduction. The Congress declared Venezuela's independence on 5 July 1811, establishing the Republic of Venezuela. 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. After this ratification, Bolvar's expeditionary forces pass to Carpano where they finally disembark and proclaim the abolition of slavery and then continue to Ocumare de la Costa where they disembark and reach Maracay but must retreat, harassed by Morales leaving part of the park on the beach and half of his soldiers who under McGregor undertake the retreat by land through the Valles de Aragua del Este, known as the Retirada de los Seiscientos ("Retreat of the Six Hundred"). The expedition of Los Cayos de San Luis or simply Expedition of Los Cayos is the name given to the two invasions that the Libertador Simn Bolvar carried out from Haiti at the end of 1815 during 1816 with the purpose of liberating Venezuela from the Spanish forces. 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. Generally, The legal-political procedure that ended the connections between the Captaincy General of Venezuela and the Spanish Empire was Venezuela's declaration of independence. On December 21, 1811, the Congress approved the Federal Constitution of the States of Venezuela of 1811. Knowing of his intentions, Bolvar requested his incorporation to the New Granada army and logistical support to later initiate the military operations of what is known in history as the Admirable Campaign. The result of the Act of Independence was immediate. The resulting patriot victory secured Venezuela's independence, as the Spanish decided they could never pacify and re-take the region. Bolvar had left Pez in charge of the armed forces of Venezuela, and he soon took full control of the country. After leaving the port of Los Cayos, in the western part of Haiti, it stopped for 3 days at Beata Island south of the border between Haiti and Santo Domingo, to continue its itinerary in which the first days of April 1816 were off the southern coast of what is today the Dominican Republic; on April 19, 1816, they arrived at isla de Vieques near the coast of Puerto Rico, an event that was celebrated with artillery salvos; On April 25, they arrive at the Dutch island of Saba, 20km (12mi) from San Bartolom, from where they head towards Margarita, fighting on 2 May before arriving there, the naval battle of Los Frailes in which the squadron of Luis Brin is victorious and captures the Spanish brigantine El Intrpido and the schooner Rita. The Capital of Quito would be Quito. On February 15, 1819, Bolvar installed the Congress of Angostura and pronounced the Discurso de Angostura which was elaborated in the context of the wars of Independence of Venezuela and Colombia. Once the day was over, Admiral Padilla ordered the squadron to stay where it had fought. From Caracas, Bolivar proclaims "War to the Death with the extermination of the Spanish race." [5] There was no vote for women, slaves, and those lacking wealth. The battalion became the mockery of the republican army, until it received its chance to prove its worth again on 5 December 1813 in Araure. Around the year of 1815, General Juan Bautista Arismendi is provisional Governor of isla de Margarita. The Battle began at dawn and lasted approximately six hours. He marched unopposed into Bogota, and the volunteers and resources he found there allowed him to recruit and equip a much larger army, and he once again marched on Venezuela. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006. In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and put his brother Joseph on the throne, throwing Spain and its colonies into chaos. Spanish and royalist forces attacked, however, and a devastating earthquake leveled Caracas on March 26, 1812. Upon arriving at the site of El Areo, Ribas proceeded to the formation of 2 cavalry columns of 180 men, which received the names of Rompelneas, with Monagas and Zaraza as commanders. On 5 December, the Republicans pawned the action and were immediately flanked and cut off by a cavalry column; the small attacking force was virtually destroyed. Pablo Morillo tells in his memoirs that when he arrived in Spain, after the embrace with Simn Bolvar and the signing of the Armistice Treaty of Santa Ana, the King of Spain called him to his presence and said: "Explain to me how it is that you, who triumphed against the French, against the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte, arrive here defeated by savages. Venezuela was under the control of the patriots in the middle of 1813, except for the provinces of Guayana and Maracaibo. "[21], "Your Majesty, if you give me a Paez and 100,000 plainsmen from Apure whom you call Savages, I will lay the whole of Europe at your feet."[22]. In the opinion of some historians, Boves took advantage of the social resentment existing in this group. The spilled blood flows into the prison cistern and Luisa is forced to quench her thirst with that putrid and pestilent water mixed with the blood of her own kin. Although elected president as a Conservative in 1846, he soon gravitated toward the Liberals. After the end of the Admirable Campaign, the republicans were campaigning against the royalists in central western Venezuela. The royalist troops were numerically superior to the patriot troops. The decade or so that followed was extremely bloody, with unspeakable atrocities on both sides and several important battles, but in the end, the patriots prevailed, finally securing Venezuelan independence in 1821. The impossibility of establishing a permanent army. Armed only with spears they attacked the battalion Numanciaone of the best Spanish battalionsand managed to disorganize their cadres, forcing them to retreat.[13]. By the time Simn Bolvar led his Admirable Campaign, the country no longer had a dependence on its Spanish colonizers, and independence was inevitable. Then in the Battle of Calabozo, Bolvar is victorious over Pablo Morillo, Paez takes charge as commander of the vanguard to pursue the Spaniards and defeats them in the Uriosa on February 15, 1818. The Battle of Las Queseras del Medio was an important military action carried out on April 2,[note 1] falling on his pursuers and destroying the royalist cavalry fleeing back to their camp. 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. Minster, Christopher. Thus culminates the Third Republic.[18]. Independence from Spanish rule in South America - Smarthistory 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. His detractors emphasize his tyrannical ruling methods, financial chicanery, monumental vanity, superficial educational reforms, and unwarranted attacks on the church. Influential factors include the desire for power of the creole social groups that possessed social and economic status but not political, the discontent of the population due to mismanagement and the rise of taxes,[2] the introduction of the ideas of Encyclopedism, the Enlightenment, the Declaration of Independence of the United States, the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, and the reign of Joseph I of Spain. Lynch, John. Venezuela was a leader in Latin America's Independence movement. Herring, Hubert. The second republic corresponds to the period between August 1813 and December 1814 and is known as the "War to the Death" period.[3][9]. The actions in the streets and squares were hard-fought. 1810 - Venezuelans take advantage of Napoleon's invasion of Spain to declare independence. In exchange, the royalists would respect people and goods. Minster, Christopher. A division was in charge of going through the battlefield, which was covered with corpses and supplies of all kinds, while Bolivar himself was in charge of the pursuit of the defeated. Although their effort failed, it forewarned of the revolutionary movements that were soon to inflame Latin America. On 3 May 1816, they touch Venezuelan soil on the island of Margarita, where on the 6 May, an assembly headed by General Juan Bautista Arismendi ratifies the special powers conferred to Bolvar in Los Cayos. 2008 September - Venezuela and Russia sign oil and gas cooperation accord.