Juan José de Sámano y Uribarri

Juan José Francisco de Sámano y Uribarri de Rebollar y Mazorra (1753 in Selaya, Cantabria – July 1821 in Panama), was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of New Granada from 1818 to 1819, during the war of independence.

Sámano was a member of a distinguished family with a long tradition in the militia. In 1771 he entered the military as a cadet, and by 1779 he was a lieutenant. He was also professor of mathematics at the Military Academy of Barcelona, where he remained five years.

In 1780 he moved to the Indies — first to Puerto Rico, later to Cuba, and finally to Cartagena de Indias (in modern Colombia). In 1785 he returned to Europe. In 1789 he was promoted to captain and fought in the war with revolutionary France, under the command of General Ventura Caro. In one battle he was wounded in both thighs.

In 1794 he was transferred back to New Granada, at his request. He became governor of Riohacha in 1806, where he repelled a British attack. From Riohacha he went to Bogotá, accompanied by 30 cavalry troops. There he volunteered for the service of Viceroy Antonio José Amar y Borbón to fight against the insurgents.

As a colonel, Sámano was in command of the Auxiliar Battalion in Bogotá at the time of the Florero de Llorente (Cry of Independence) on July 20, 1810. His second in command was José María Moledo, who together with other officers not only sympathized with the revolution, but took an active part in it. That night Sámano remained in his quarters, guarded by Moledo and Baraya, who had sworn allegiance to the rebel junta in Bogotá. In the early morning of July 21, Colonel Sámano took an oath before the president of the Junta, José Miguel Pey. Pey ordered that he be relieved of his command of the Auxliar Battalion. Lieutenant Colonel Moledo was named to replace him.

Sámano was issued a passport so that he could leave New Granada. He returned to Spain, where he was commissioned to pacify the region of Quito and Guayaquil. From Quito he directed the military operations against the rebels in New Granada. In 1813 he was named by Governor Toribio Montes to lead an expedition to recover the southern part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. He got as far as the city of Popayán, which he occupied on July 1, 1813. There he proclaimed the authority of the Constitution of Cádiz. He was promoted to brigadier.

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