Here’s How Colombia Became Independent From Spain

On July 20th, 1810, Colombian patriots of Bogotá filled the streets in protest against the ongoing Spanish rule. It was then that the Viceroy was forced to agree to a limited independence, which later became permanent. Therefore, today, July 20 is celebrated in Colombia as their official Independence Day. Google celebrates it too!

The Independence of Colombia did not happen overnight, and there were a multitude of reasons for it – so let’s dissect some of those here. It all stared when Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain in 1808, imprisoned King Ferdinand VII, and put his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne, which obviously made Spain pretty mad, and was the start of a very slipper slope. In 1809, New Granada politician Camilo Torres Tenorio wrote his famous Memorial de Agravios (Remembrance of Offenses) about repeated Spanish slights against Creoles who often could not hold high offices and whose trade was heavily restricted. His sentiments were then echoed by much of the population as he started to build a massive following. By 1810, the people of New Granada (now Colombia) were completely fed up with Spanish rule.

In July of 1810, Bogota’s patriots had a master plan to free themselves from the Spaniards. On the morning of the 20th, they would ask Spanish merchant Joaquín Gonzalez Llorente to borrow a flower vase for a celebration in honor of Antonio Villavicencio, a well-known patriot sympathizer. It was assumed that Llorente would refuse, and that his refusal would be a beautiful excuse to provoke a riot and force the Viceroy to hand power over to the Creoles. Meanwhile, Joaquín Camacho would go to the Viceregal palace and request an open council, and the rebel leaders knew that this would also be refused.

Camacho then proceeded to the home of Viceroy Antonio José Amar y Borbón, where the petition for an open town meeting regarding independence was (obviously) denied. Meanwhile, Luís Rubio went to ask Llorente for the flower vase. By some accounts, he refused rudely, and by others, he declined politely. Luckily, it didn’t matter. Patriots ran through the streets of Bogota claiming that both Amar y Borbón and Llorente had been extremely rude. The population went nuts.

The people of Bogota took to the streets in hoards to protest Spanish arrogance and disrespect. Guided by patriots like José María Carbonell, the townspeople made their way to the main square, where they insisted on a town hall to determine the future of the city as well as New Granada as a whole. Once the people were revved up, Carbonell took some men and surrounded the local cavalry and infantry barracks, where the soldiers did not dare attack the Colombian patriots.

Meanwhile, patriot leaders returned to Viceroy Amar y Borbón and tried to get him to accept a peaceful solution. If he agreed to hold a town meeting to elect a local governing council for the people and by the people of New Granada, they would make sure he was part of that council. When Amar y Borbón hesitated, José Acevedo y Gómez made an impassioned speech to the angry crowd, directing them to the Royal Audience, where the Viceroy was meeting with the Creoles. With a mob at his doorstep, Amar y Borbón had no choice but to sign the act which permitted a local ruling council and eventually, 100% independence. ¡Que viva Colombia!