La Cosiata facts for kids
La Cosiata, also called the Revolution of the Morrocoyes, was a big political movement in Venezuela. It started in Valencia on April 30, 1826. General José Antonio Páez and Miguel Peña led it. Their main goal was to separate Venezuela from a larger country called Gran Colombia.
At first, the movement wanted to change the Cúcuta Constitution. They also wanted to break away from the government in Santa Fe de Bogotá, but still stay connected to Simón Bolívar. Many people felt that Gran Colombia's government was too strong and controlled by a few powerful people. Venezuelan leaders had to follow decisions made in Bogotá. People in Venezuela wanted more freedom and control over their own region. This event eventually led to the creation of the independent Republic of Venezuela.
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What Does "La Cosiata" Mean?
The name "La Cosiata" might sound a bit strange! Historian José M. Ameliach N. researched its meaning. He wrote about it in an article called "La Cosiata fue el principio del fin" in 2012.
He found that Venezuelans at the time often gave funny names to political events. An Italian comedian who visited the country used the word "Cosiata". He used it to describe unimportant or silly theater shows. Because it was a popular word, the media started using it to describe this political movement.
Why Did La Cosiata Happen?
The Constitution of Cúcuta was created in 1821 for Gran Colombia. Many Venezuelans did not like it from the start. Even when it was sworn in Caracas, the city council protested.
People were also unhappy that Francisco de Paula Santander became Vice President. They disliked that the government was very central, not federal. This meant that most power was in Bogotá, the capital. Venezuelans felt their region was not treated fairly. The constitution was hard to change for 10 years.
Venezuela was still recovering from the Venezuelan War of Independence. There was also a fear that France and Spain might try to take back America. Because of this, Vice President Santander ordered all men aged 16 to 50 to join the army. He asked the Department of Venezuela to send 50,000 men to Bogotá.
General José Antonio Páez was the military leader of Venezuela since 1822. He waited almost a year before following the order. He worried about a rebellion and wanted to show he was unhappy with the government. Under pressure, he finally tried to recruit soldiers. But only 800 men joined. More attempts to recruit led to violent protests.
The city council in Caracas heard about the harsh recruitment methods. They accused Páez, and the case went to the Senate in Bogotá. Páez was removed from his position and told to go to Bogotá for trial.
Páez gave his command to General Juan de Escalona. But Miguel Peña and others advised Páez not to go to Bogotá. They believed he would be punished, like Colonel Leonardo Infante who was sentenced to death. Páez refused to obey the order and stayed in his home in Valencia.
Three months later, people in Valencia protested in front of the city council. The next day, local leaders declared that Páez needed to lead the country again. Because of this support, Páez officially declared himself in rebellion.
Bolívar's Return and Amnesty
Simón Bolívar was re-elected President of Gran Colombia. When he heard about the situation, he left Lima for Venezuela on September 4, 1826. He arrived in Puerto Cabello on December 31.
By January 19, 1827, Bolívar declared that everyone involved in "La Cosiata" would be forgiven. Bolívar met with Páez. They confirmed their friendship and Bolívar granted a general pardon. He also confirmed José Antonio Páez Herrera as the main civil and military leader of Venezuela. However, the disagreements between Venezuelan and New Granadan leaders continued. They wanted changes to the constitution, but these changes were slow to happen.
Bolívar went back to Santafé in early 1827. He faced strong opposition from political groups led by General Santander. Bolívar trusted his military friends, many of whom were Venezuelans. Their actions often caused more problems between Bolívar and the Congress.
Venezuela Becomes a Republic
On April 2, 1828, a meeting called the Convention of Ocaña took place. It was because of the movement started by General José Antonio Páez and others. They wanted to change the Cúcuta Constitution.
Representatives from Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela attended. They split into two groups:
- The Centralists, led by Simón Bolívar, wanted a strong central government.
- The Federalists, led by Francisco de Paula Santander (for Colombia) and José Antonio Páez (for Venezuela), wanted more power for each region. The Federalists had more supporters.
Bolívar wanted to keep Gran Colombia united. He decided to take strong control, acting like a dictator. In August 1828, he suggested a new constitution. It would have a very strong central government and a president who could rule for life. This idea made those who wanted to separate even angrier. They saw it as going back to a king-like system, which they had fought against. This led to several attempts to assassinate Bolívar.
On December 27, 1829, a group in Caracas decided they no longer recognized Bolívar's authority. They gave power to Páez. Páez sent a letter to Bolívar, asking him to accept Venezuela's separation. This letter was read at a meeting in Bogotá in January 1830.
This meeting, called the Admirable Congress, was called by Bolívar himself. He hoped to bring everyone together and prevent Gran Colombia from breaking apart. When he heard the news from Venezuela, he asked Congress for special powers. He wanted to meet Páez in Mérida (Venezuela) and fix the problem. But Congress said no. So, in January 1830, Simón Bolívar resigned from his position.
Páez then formed a temporary government and became its head. He called for elections to choose representatives for a new Congress. This Congress met in Valencia on May 6, 1830. This meeting led to the creation of the Republic of Venezuela. Valencia became its temporary capital.
The new Constitution for the Republic of Venezuela was approved on September 22, 1830. It became law that same month.
On March 24, 1831, General José Antonio Páez Herrera was elected as the first President of the Republic. He received most of the votes. The next day, Diego Bautista Urbaneja was chosen as the first Vice President.
President Páez ruled peacefully for most of his term. His government included many military leaders from the War of Independence. The economy, which was damaged by the war, slowly started to recover. This was helped by new laws and the export of Coffee. Under Páez, the Republic of Venezuela was firmly established.
However, Páez had to deal with several rebellions. These included movements led by General José Tadeo Monagas in Barcelona and Cumaná. There were also rebellions in Guárico in 1834. Páez also faced problems with the church and with soldiers who were unhappy. Some civilian groups supported José María Vargas for president, even though he didn't want the job.
Finally, in 1835, José Antonio Páez handed over power to José María Vargas. Vargas was the first civilian to lead the country.
See also
- Dissolution of Gran Colombia
- 1827 Guayaquil sublevation
