Battle of Carabobo

Part of the Venezuelan War of Independence

Detail of La Batalla de Carabobo by Martín Tovar y Tovar. Oil on canvas.

Date	24 June 1821
Location	Carabobo, Venezuela
Result	Decisive Patriot victory

Belligerents

Royalists

Commanders and leaders

Simón Bolívar

José Antonio Páez

Miguel de la Torre

Strength

6,500-8,000 Total

4,000 infantry
- 900-1,200 British
2,500 cavalry

4,000-5,000 Total
No cavalry fought

Casualties and losses

200 dead

2,908 captured, wounded or dead.

6,500-8,000 Total

The Battle of Carabobo, 24 June 1821, was fought between independence fighters, led by Venezuelan General Simón Bolívar, and the Royalist forces, led by Spanish Field Marshal Miguel de la Torre. Bolívar's decisive victory at Carabobo led to the independence of Venezuela and establishment of the Republic of Gran Colombia.

There were several events that led to the Battle of Carabobo. Francisco Miranda, famed patriot that tried to free many Latin American countries alongside Simón Bolívar, had taken control of Caracas from 1810 to 1812. The Spanish took back control and Miranda was handed to the royalists because Bolívar, in one of his most questionable decisions of his life, believed him to be traitor. Bolívar then fled from Venezuela, after which he organized the Admirable Campaign in 1813 and re-established the Second Republic of Venezuela. Bolívar would lose Venezuela again in 1814 and he would re-establish the Venezuelan Republic one more time before uniting with the New Granada to form the Gran Colombia union. In 1820, an armistice was made between the Spanish, under General Pablo Morillo, and the Patriots, under Bolívar. During the years after he fled from Venezuela, Bolívar spent a lot of time regrouping his forces. He stationed his men on Lake Maracaibo, an area that was occupied by the loyalists. Bolívar had numerical superiority over the loyalists but it would still be a challenge.

The Royalists occupied the road leading from Valencia to Puerto Cabello. As Bolívar's force of 6,500 (which included over 600 volunteers from the British Isles) approached the Royalist position, Bolívar divided his force and sent half on a flanking maneuver through rough terrain and dense foliage. Bolívar led the attack through the center while Gen. José Antonio Páez went around to the right flank. But before they would do it, the 2 Spanish field guns fired on the lines.

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Wikipedia