Free and Independent State of Cundinamarca

See also: Cundinamarca State

Estado Libre e Independiente de Cundinamarca

1810–1815


Flag	Coat of arms

Capital

Bogotá

Languages

Spanish

Religion

Roman Catholic

Government

Constitutional monarchy; republic

President

•

1811

Jorge Tadeo Lozano

•

1812-1813

Antonio Nariño

History

•

Established

1810

•

Disestablished

1815

Preceded by

Succeeded by

Province of Bogotá

United Provinces of New Granada
Province of Bogotá

Today part of

Colombia

The Free and Independent State of Cundinamarca (Spanish: Estado Libre e Independiente de Cundinamarca) was a rebel state in colonial Colombia, replacing the Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of New Granada from 1810 to 1815. It was part of the Foolish Fatherland (Patria Boba) period at the beginning of the Spanish American wars of independence. Its capital was Bogotá, the former capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada.

Following the occupation of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars, Cundinamarca was one of the states (such as United Provinces of South America (Argentina) and the First Republic of Venezuela) who replaced its viceregal government with a local junta in the name of the deposed Ferdinand VII. The first president was Jorge Tadeo Lozano, but Antonio Nariño forced his resignation and replaced him. Cundinamarca was initially conceived as an enclave of the Spanish kingdom, but full independence was declared in 1813.

While Cundinamarca, including the old capital and administrative machinery, advocated the establishment of a strong centralist government, other parts of the old viceroyalty banded together as the United Provinces of New Granada to support a federal structure. The region remained embroiled in a largely static civil war until the defeat of a Cundinamarcan expedition against Quito allowed General Simón Bolívar of the United Provinces to force terms in December 1814. By mid-1815, however, Pablo Morillo arrived with a large Spanish force and returned the region to submission to the since-restored Ferdinand.