Colombian Patriots Activism Resulted in Colombia's Independence

By Ruben Hernandez

The Casa de la Cultura Colombiana in the Valley celebrated Colombia’s Independence Day on July 20. AZLatinos shares the history of that country’s fight for independence with our readers.

Colombia liberated from Spain on July 20, 1810. That marked the end of the Spanish reign over the Creole people and other country natives. Fed up with years of abuse and tyranny, the Colombianos formed a plan to incite street riots in Bogota. Bogota was home to the Spanish viceroy, Antonio Jose Amar y Borbón, and a hotbed for native patriotism.

On the morning of July 20, patriots asked well-known Spanish merchant and Spain sympathizer  Joaquín Gonzalez Llorente to borrow a flower vase in order to decorate a table for a celebration in honor of a well-known patriot sympathizer, Antonio Villavicencio. The patriots knew he would refuse; his refusal would be a good excuse to provoke a riot and pressure the viceroy to give up power to the local patriots.

Meanwhile, patriot Joaquín Camacho would go the viceroy’s palace and ask an open council to discuss Colombia’s liberation; the patriots also knew this request would be refused, another reason to riot.

Camacho and his group went to the Viceroy’s home, where the request for an open council regarding Colombia’s independence was rejected.  Meanwhile, patriot Luís Rubio went to ask the well-known Spanish merchant for the flower vase.  It is uncertain whether the Spanish merchant refused rudely or if he was antagonized by the patriots until he became rude.  The fact of the matter is that the patriots now had two simultaneous accounts of the Spanish being rude to them, one in the viceroy’s rejection for a town meeting for Colombia’s independence, the other the refusal to let them borrow a vase for a well-known patriot sympathizer.  Bogota was already on the verge of revolt, so a riot easily ignited.

Local government demand won

Colombian patriots went back the viceroy and asked him to solve the matter peacefully by letting them elect a local governing council.  The viceroy hesitated, so patriot 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 an angry mob coming down on him, Viceroy Amar y Borbón signed the act to permit a local ruling council, eventually leading to independence!  

Like many other countries around the world, Colombia’s Independence Day marked the beginning of a long road towards stability and prosperity after years of tyranny and abuse at the hands of the Spanish.   

So when you celebrate Colombia’s Independence Day, you are celebrating the freedom of all countries from tyranny.