Antonio Nariño
Encyclopedia
Antonio de la Santísima Concepción Nariño y Álvarez (Santa Fé de Bogotá
, Colombia 1765 - 1824 Villa de Leyva
, Colombia) was an ideological Colombian precursor and one of the early political and military leaders of the independence movement in the New Granada
(present day Colombia
.)
In 1794, Nariño procured a copy of the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" which was being distributed by the French Assembly. He translated the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" from its original French into Spanish and printed several copies from his own private press. He then circulated these translated pamphlets among his politically like-minded friends. Copies of the pamphlet were distributed to all corners of the continent and created a stirring in the political mentalities of the time. The government soon discovered the material and any copy that was found was burned. Nariño was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Africa for his leading role in the political group and was exiled from South America. Nariño had previously worked as a tax collector ("Recaudador de diezmos") and was also accused of fraud resulting from this activity.
However, when the ship landed in Spain
, Nariño escaped from his captors and later went to France
and England
, where he continued his work supporting the revolution in South America
. He found his way back to New Granada (Colombia) where the authorities again caught up with him in Bogotá
. This time he was imprisoned and sent to Madrid
but somehow managed to escape again and return to Colombia
, where he was able to take part in the revolution. He founded the political newspaper La Bagatela in 1811. That same year he was selected president of the State of Cundinamarca
.
Recognized as the commander of the centralist republican forces in New Granada, Nariño fought several battles against the federalists organized around the city of Cartagena
, Colombia.
and eventually Quito
.
Nariño's forces, known as the Army of the South, numbering 1500 to 2000 men, managed to capture Popayán
in January 1814 after defeating the Royalist forces in the area in a series of initially successful battles.
After stopping to reorganize the city's government and his own forces, he pressed on towards Pasto. Historians have speculated that, had he not stopped at Popayán but actually decisively pursued the fleeing Royalist army, he might have been able to successfully capture a relatively undefended Pasto.
As things happened, the constant raids of Royalist guerrillas
, the harshness of the terrain, the lack of promised reinforcements from Antioquia
, and the delays in bringing up his army's artillery contributed to weakening the morale of many of the troops under Nariño's command, when they had practically reached the gates of Pasto.
After being wounded during combat, a false rumor of his death was spread, and most of the remaining soldiers scattered, only some 400 returning to Popayán. Nariño, left practically alone in the battlefield, attempted to hide, but surrendered himself when Royalist scouts found him. He was taken into Pasto
in May 1814, and then sent to the Royal prison at Cádiz
via Quito.
Nariño was freed in 1821 after the revolt of Rafael del Riego
, and returned to his country (Colombia), now independent from Spain after the republican victory at the Battle of Boyacá
.
Nariño was one of the candidates for the presidency of Gran Colombia
in 1821, where he lost to Simón Bolívar
by the significant margin of 50 to 6 votes in the Congress held at Cúcuta
, finishing second. He also lost the election for vicepresident, as Francisco de Paula Santander
eventually defeated him by a 38 to 19 vote margin after several heated rounds of voting.
In 1824, Nariño died. Before his death, Nariño became a national hero in his country. He is mentioned in last stanza of Colombian national anthem
. At the foot of his statue in Colombia
, he is quoted, "I have loved my country; only History will say what this love has been."
The presidential palace of the Republic of Colombia, Casa de Nariño
or Palacio de Nariño is named in his honor and was constructed at the site of Nariño's birthplace.
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia 1765 - 1824 Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva is a colonial town and municipality, in the Boyacá department of Colombia, part of the subregion of the Ricaurte Province. The town is located some 40 km west of Tunja and has a population of about 9,600 people...
, Colombia) was an ideological Colombian precursor and one of the early political and military leaders of the independence movement in the New Granada
Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada was the name given on 27 May 1717, to a Spanish colonial jurisdiction in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. The territory corresponding to Panama was incorporated later in 1739...
(present day Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.)
Early political activity
Nariño was born to an aristocratic family. He was always seeking knowledge and greatly admired the political ideologies of the leaders of the French and American Revolutions. In his impressive library there was even a portrait of Benjamin Franklin that hung above the mantle. In his youth, Nariño was a strong influence amongst the progressive young people of Bogotá, Colombia. He was the host to many secret political gatherings which purpose was to discuss the need for independence. Nariño was always one of the most out-spoken and articulate participant at these meetings, which gained him much admiration.In 1794, Nariño procured a copy of the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" which was being distributed by the French Assembly. He translated the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" from its original French into Spanish and printed several copies from his own private press. He then circulated these translated pamphlets among his politically like-minded friends. Copies of the pamphlet were distributed to all corners of the continent and created a stirring in the political mentalities of the time. The government soon discovered the material and any copy that was found was burned. Nariño was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Africa for his leading role in the political group and was exiled from South America. Nariño had previously worked as a tax collector ("Recaudador de diezmos") and was also accused of fraud resulting from this activity.
However, when the ship landed in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Nariño escaped from his captors and later went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he continued his work supporting the revolution in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. He found his way back to New Granada (Colombia) where the authorities again caught up with him in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. This time he was imprisoned and sent to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
but somehow managed to escape again and return to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, where he was able to take part in the revolution. He founded the political newspaper La Bagatela in 1811. That same year he was selected president of the State of Cundinamarca
Free and Independent State of Cundinamarca
The Free and Independent State of Cundinamarca was a rebel state in modern Colombia between 1810 and 1815 during the Patria Boba period at the beginning of the Latin American wars of independence...
.
Recognized as the commander of the centralist republican forces in New Granada, Nariño fought several battles against the federalists organized around the city of Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
, Colombia.
Southern campaign
In July 1813, General Nariño began an intensive military campaign against the Spanish and Royalist forces in the south, intending to reach PastoPasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
and eventually Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
.
Nariño's forces, known as the Army of the South, numbering 1500 to 2000 men, managed to capture Popayán
Popayán
Popayán is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between Colombia's Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range...
in January 1814 after defeating the Royalist forces in the area in a series of initially successful battles.
After stopping to reorganize the city's government and his own forces, he pressed on towards Pasto. Historians have speculated that, had he not stopped at Popayán but actually decisively pursued the fleeing Royalist army, he might have been able to successfully capture a relatively undefended Pasto.
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
, the harshness of the terrain, the lack of promised reinforcements from Antioquia
Antioquia Department
Antioquia is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the central northwestern part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea. Most of its territory is mountainous with some valleys, much of which is part of the Andes mountain range...
, and the delays in bringing up his army's artillery contributed to weakening the morale of many of the troops under Nariño's command, when they had practically reached the gates of Pasto.
After being wounded during combat, a false rumor of his death was spread, and most of the remaining soldiers scattered, only some 400 returning to Popayán. Nariño, left practically alone in the battlefield, attempted to hide, but surrendered himself when Royalist scouts found him. He was taken into Pasto
Pasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
in May 1814, and then sent to the Royal prison at Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
via Quito.
Later years
Rafael del Riego
Rafael del Riego y Nuñez was a Spanish general and liberal politician, who played a key role in the outbreak of the Liberal Triennium .-Early life and action in the Peninsular War:...
, and returned to his country (Colombia), now independent from Spain after the republican victory at the Battle of Boyacá
Battle of Boyacá
The Battle of Boyacá in Colombia, then known as New Granada, was the battle in which Colombia acquired its definitive independence from Spanish Monarchy, although fighting with royalist forces would continue for years....
.
Nariño was one of the candidates for the presidency of Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...
in 1821, where he lost to Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
by the significant margin of 50 to 6 votes in the Congress held at Cúcuta
Cúcuta
Cúcuta is a Colombian city, capital of Norte de Santander, in the northeast of the country. Due to its proximity to the Colombian-Venezuelan border, Cúcuta is an important commercial center. The city has the constitutional category of Special District. It is located at the most active...
, finishing second. He also lost the election for vicepresident, as Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco de Paula Santander
Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña , was a Colombian military and political leader during the 1810–1819 independence war of the United Provinces of New Granada...
eventually defeated him by a 38 to 19 vote margin after several heated rounds of voting.
In 1824, Nariño died. Before his death, Nariño became a national hero in his country. He is mentioned in last stanza of Colombian national anthem
National Anthem of Colombia
Himno Nacional de la República de Colombia is the official name of the national anthem of Colombia...
. At the foot of his statue in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, he is quoted, "I have loved my country; only History will say what this love has been."
The presidential palace of the Republic of Colombia, Casa de Nariño
Casa de Nariño
The Casa de Nariño or Palacio de Nariño is the official home and principal workplace of the President of Colombia. It houses the main office of the executive branch and is located in the capital city of Bogotá...
or Palacio de Nariño is named in his honor and was constructed at the site of Nariño's birthplace.