Tomorrow marks (yet another) Colombian National Holiday. I know, there are loads, right!? Well, there’s a good reason for August 7th being a day of celebration and remembrance: this date marks the anniversary of the Battle of Boyaca, the key battle in Colombian territory of the Wars of Independence. The battle took place in 1819, some 150km from Bogota, nearby to Tunja. It is still possible to visit the site of the battle, the Puente de Boyaca, which is today commemorated with monuments, statues and tributes to the key leaders of this decisive Republican victory.
And it wasn’t only a decisive victory; it would be fair to call the Battle of Boyaca an overwhelming victory! Lead by Simon Bolivar, Francisco de Paula Santander, Jose Antonio Anzoategui and Carlos Soublette, the Republican forces numbered 3,430 men: by the end of the battle they had lost just 13 men, with 53 injured. They had taken over 1,600 men prisoner from a Spanish force numbering 2,940.
The ultimate consequences of this victory were immense, and ultimately contributed to the weakening of all Royalist forces in the Americas, whilst marking their final defeat in the New Kingdom of Granada. The battle also led to the formation of Gran Colombia. So, before you all start complaining, it seems perfectly far to me that we all get a day off work. I’m going to head over to Bogota’s National Museum and Independence Museum: if a bunch of people died in the services of freedom, and I get a day off even though I’m not Colombian, it seems only right that I try to learn a bit more about what they fought for.
Enjoy the holiday, perhaps I’ll see you at the museum…
Chris
