Definition of Battle of Boyacá

The Battle of the Boyacá Bridge took place on August 7, 1819 and was a triumph for the Venezuelan troops against the Spanish colonial army. From a historical point of view, the military victory was a decisive step for the independence of Venezuela, since in December of that same year the Congress Venezuela and New Granada to proclaim the Republic from Colombia.

Spanish royalists versus Venezuelan patriots

The patriot side consisted of New Granada soldiers and Venezuelan troops and most of all of them they were of very humble origin (a small contingent of British soldiers also supported the army liberator).

On the Spanish side, also called royalist, the soldiers were well-armed Native Americans with powerful cavalry.

The royalist army had the objective of taking the city of Santa Fe (the capital of New Granada) and the liberating army led by Simón Bolívar had the purpose to prevent it. The patriots went to the Boyacá River, where there was a bridge with great strategic value for communications.

The patriotic troops led by Commander Santander surrounded the Spanish with a movement in the form of a ring and they had no choice but to surrender. The battle ended with the death of 100 royalist soldiers, a dozen patriot soldiers, and some 1,500 prisoners.

The victory of the liberators was decisive, since control of the bridge made it easier for Simón Bolívar's troops to go to Santa Fe de Bogotá within days of the battle. They did not find any endurance military and took the city.

The battle that led to liberation

Spanish power was significantly weakened throughout the Viceroyalty. On the other hand, the Battle of Boyacá is integrated into a strategy broader: the liberating campaign of New Granada.

For most historians, the Boyacá episode was the decisive advance for the independence of the American nations under Spanish rule.

August 7, 1819 is one of the emblematic dates in the history of Colombia in particular and of the emancipation of the American nations in general.

Simón Bolívar and Comandante Santander were not the only heroes of the battle; So was a 12-year-old boy named Pedro Pascasio Martinez, who did not allow himself to be bribed by the gold coins of a Spanish military man, who ended up being a prisoner.

In the present the government Colombian awards the distinction of the Order of Boyacá to citizens who stand out for their patriotic work (this decoration was created by Simón Bolívar himself to recognize the military and civilian merits of those who participated in the battle of Boyacá).

Photo: Fotolia - Penwin