The Republic That Wasn't – The First Colombian Republic (1811-1816)

We talked about Gran Colombia before but did you know this was actually the second Colombian republic? There also existed a first: from 1810 till the Spanish reconquest in 1816. But actually it was not really a republic, because different factions were pitted against each other: there were the Centralists, the Federalists and the Royalists.
The First Colombian Republic, also known as "Patria Boba" (Foolish Fatherland), refers to the period between 1810 and 1816 in what is now Colombia, marked by internal conflict and political instability following the initial declarations of independence from Spain. During this time there were struggles between federalist and centralist factions, leading to civil wars and ultimately making the region vulnerable to the Spanish reconquest.
In 1810, following Napoleon's invasion of Spain, various cities and regions in New Granada (present-day Colombia) established juntas (governing councils) and declared independence.
This period was called "Patria Boba" (Foolish Fatherland) due to the intense internal divisions and power struggles between different factions. Two main political ideologies emerged: federalism, advocating for regional autonomy, and centralism, favoring a strong central government. And then there were the royalists that adhered to the Spanish crown. These ideological differences led to conflicts between provinces, particularly between the United Provinces (federalist) and the State of Cundinamarca (centralist).
The internal conflicts weakened the region, making it susceptible to Spanish reconquest. In 1816, a Spanish expeditionary force, led by Pablo Morillo, arrived and re-established control over most of New Granada.

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