Convention of Ocaña
The Convention of Ocaña was a constituent assembly that took place in the Colombian city of Ocaña between April 9 and June 10, 1828. Its objective was to reform the Constitution of Cúcuta and resolve differences related to the republic.
Past
The Gran Colombia since 1826 it was economically exhausted by the long liberating campaign. There were conflicting interests of the administration and the military, differences were observed between the one and the other by a new government in a new nation, there were leaders who did not accept to be subordinates of a central government.
In the year of 1826 General José Antonio Páez, caudillo and important military of the department of Venezuela was rebelled against the central government through a separatist movement called La Cosiata.
History
The convention a confrontation between the ideas of two political currents: the followers of Bolivar and those who supported the ideas of Santander, controversial projects were discussed, centralism and federalism among others. Santander who had to give up to maintain the unity of the nation, in the point concerning the need to change the Constitution of Cúcuta, because it could not be reformed before ten years.
José María del Castillo and Rada was chosen as president and Andrés Narvarte as vice president of the convention. Finally this one could not finish as it was planned because the followers of Bolivar retired. Bolivar, in an effort to maintain a unit that had already been undermined, began a dictatorial period on August 27, 1828.
For the province of Bogotá | For the province of Mariquita | For the province of Caracas | For the province of Carabobo | For the province of Maracaibo | For the province of Panamá |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Francisco de Paula Santander | José María del Castillo | Martín Tobar | Salvador Mesa | Doctor Antonio M. Briceño | José Vallarino |
Vicente Azuero | Alejandro Osorio | Andrés Narvarte | Licenciado Francisco Aranda | Antonio Febres Cordero | Manuel Muñoz |
Luis Vargas Tejada | Pedro Carrasquilla | José de Iribarren | Vicente Michelena | Manuel Pardo | |
Francisco Soto | Mariano de Echezuría | Doctor Miguel Peña | For the province of Mérida | ||
Diego Gómez | For the province of de Coro | J. Manuel Manrique | Licenciado Juan J. Romero | Doctor Cristóbal Mendoza | For the province of Santa Marta |
Joaquín Gori | Rafael Hermoso | Diego Bautista Urbaneja | Ignacio Díaz | Doctor Ignacio F. Peña | Santiago Mazenet |
Domingo Caicedo | Manuel Vicente Huizi | Licenciado Santos Rodríguez | Juan Bautista Quintana | ||
Romualdo Liévano | For the province of Mompós | ||||
Manuel Cañarete | For the province of Riohacha | For the province of Pichincha | For the province of Imbabura | For the province of Chimborazo | |
Of Guayaquil | Juan Bautista Quintana | Juan de Francisco Martín | José A. Pontón | Doctor Salvador Murgueitio | Doctor N. Moreno |
Doctor José Joaquín de Olmedo | Doctor Luis de Saá | Coronel Vicente Aguirre | N. Ricaurte | ||
Doctor Francisco Márquez | Of Popayán | Of Pasto | Doctor Antonio Ante | Francisco Montúfar | |
Doctor Pablo Merino | José Rafael Mosquera | Manuel M. Quijano | Doctor Jesús Clavijo | Of Buenaventura | Prudencio Bascones |
Manuel M. Quijano | Manuel Zambrano | Joaquín Mosquera | Tomás Viteri | ||
For the province of Chocó | Fortunato Gamba | Ignacio Escobar | |||
Hilario López | José Antonio Borrero |
Subsequent events
After the failure of the Convention of Ocaña, Santander left for Cúcuta and then to Bogotá.
On June 13, 1828, a popular movement in Bogota, promoted by General Pedro Alcántara Herrán, intendant and general commander of the department of Cundinamarca, supported the idea of seizing power through the military command, on August 27, 1828 Simon Bolivar proclaimed himself Dictator and signed a letter revoking the powers of the deputies of Bogota to the Great Convention, the acts of the Constituent of Ocaña were unknown and Bolivar assumed the supreme command of the nation.
On August 27, Simón Bolívar promulgated the Organic Decree, which he called the "Fundamental Law" through which he assumed the dictatorship and left the Constitution of Cúcuta without effect. On September 11, Estanislao Vergara, Minister of Foreign Affairs, informed Santander that he had been appointed as Plenipotentiary Minister of Colombia to the United States government. Shortly after the Septembrina Conspiracy would take place.
External links
- Ministry of Culture - Museum of the Great Convention of Ocaña
- Simón-Bolivar.org - Convention of Ocaña - What was the Convention of Ocaña?
- EfemeridesVenezolanas.com - Convention of Ocaña
- MyPunto.com - Convention of Ocaña
- The Convention of Ocaña, Library of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia.
- La Gran Colombia