The Battle of Coplé was a battle in

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, which occurred on 17 February 1860, during the

Federal War The Federal War () — also known as the Great War or the 5 Year War — was a civil war in Venezuela between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party over the monopoly the Conservatives held over government positions and land ownership, an ...

between the Federalist forces under General

Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.León de Febres Cordero León de Febres Cordero y Oberto (Los Puertos de Altagracia, Captaincy General of Venezuela, 28 June 1797 - Mérida, Mérida, Mérida, United States of Venezuela, 7 July 1872) was a Venezuelan Conservative general and politician who participated i ...

, with a victory for the latter.

The battle

The Federalists, after a victorious first campaign, concluded with a victory in the Battle of Santa Inés on 10 December 1859, lost their best military leader

Ezequiel Zamora Ezequiel Zamora (; 1 February 1817 – 10 January 1860) was a Venezuelan soldier and leader of the Federalists in the Federal War ''(Guerra Federal)'' of 1859–1863. He participated in the 1846 Venezuelan peasant insurrection against the con ...

, killed by a sniper during the siege of the town of San Carlos.

Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

, but so slowly that it gave the Government the opportunity to organize a new army. Both armies met near the Coplé lagoon, and the Federalist army was completely defeated by the Conservatives after a 55-minute battle.Édgar Esteves González (2006). Las Guerras de Los Caudillos. p. 59-62. Caracas: El Nacional.
Although their troops were not pursued by the victors, the rout led to the disintegration of the Federalist army, while Falcón and several other leaders of the rebellion fled Venezuela, to seek refuge in the

Granadine Confederation The Granadine Confederation () was a short-lived federal republic established in 1858 as a result of a constitutional change replacing the Republic of New Granada. It consisted of the present-day nations of Colombia and Panama and parts of north ...

(Colombia).

Consequences

After the Battle of Coplé, the Federal War transformed mainly into guerrilla warfare until the end of 1862, when the Federalists had regained enough strength to fight and win the Battle of Buchivacoa, the third and last major engagement of the war.

References

Coplé Federal War 1860 in Venezuela Conflicts in 1860 February 1860 {{SouthAm-battle-stub