José Antonio Anzoátegui (1789–1819) was a

Venezuelan Venezuelans (Spanish language, Spanish: ''venezolanos'') are the Citizenship, citizens identified with the country of Venezuela. This connection may be through citizenship, descent or cultural. For most Venezuelans, many or all of these connect ...

military officer who fought in the

and Colombian Wars of Independence. Born in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, he supported the Venezuelan independence movement in 1810 and joined the patriot army, one of the first military campaigns he participated in was in the Eastern Campaign led by General

Santiago Mariño Santiago Mariño Carige Fitzgerald (25 July 1788 in Valle Espíritu Santo, Margarita – 4 September 1854 in La Victoria, Aragua), was a nineteenth-century Venezuelan revolutionary leader and hero in the Venezuelan War of Independence (1811– ...

which saw him reach the rank of captain. From 1813 to 1814, he was present at almost every important battle; such as Bocachico, Araure,

Carabobo Carabobo State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, located in the north of the country, about two hours by car from Caracas. The state capital city is Valencia, which is also the country's main industrial center. The state's area is and ...

and San Mateo. After the fall of the

Second Republic of Venezuela The Second Republic of Venezuela () is the name used to refer to the reestablished Venezuelan Republic declared by Simón Bolívar on 7 August 1813. This declaration followed the defeat of Domingo Monteverde by Bolívar during the Admirable Cam ...

into Royalist hands, he fled with Generals

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

and

Rafael Urdaneta Rafael José Urdaneta y Farías (October 24, 1788 – August 23, 1845) was a Venezuelan General and hero of the Spanish American wars of independence. After overthrowing President Joaquín Mosquera in a 1830 military coup, he served as Pre ...

New Granada New Granada may refer to various former national denominations for the present-day country of Colombia: *New Kingdom of Granada, from 1538 to 1717 *Viceroyalty of New Granada, from 1717 to 1810, re-established from 1816 to 1822 *United Provinces of ...

. There he participated in the failed campaign to capture the royalist controlled province of

Santa Marta Santa Marta (), officially the Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta (), is a port List of cities in Colombia, city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is the capital of Magdalena Department and the fou ...

, he later fled abroad to

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

. In 1816 he returned to Venezuela, as part of the Los Cayos expedition and was made commander of the infantry troops in

Carúpano Carúpano is a city in the eastern Venezuelan state of Sucre. It is located on the Venezuelan Caribbean coast at the opening of two valleys, some 120 km east of the capital of Sucre, Cumaná.Angostura, which became the capital of the

Third Republic of Venezuela The Third Republic of Venezuela () was the reestablished Republic of Venezuela declared by Simón Bolívar in the year 1817, during the Venezuelan War of Independence. The beginning of the Third Republic of Venezuela is attributed to the peri ...

. He was a prosecutor in General Manuel Piar’s court martial and also participated in the

Congress of Angostura The Congress of Angostura was convened by Simón Bolívar and took place in Angostura (today Ciudad Bolívar) during the wars of independence of Colombia and Venezuela, culminating in the proclamation of the Republic of Colombia (historiograph ...

. Upon being promoted to the rank of Brigadier General he received command of the Bolívar's Honor Guard. Anzoátegui played a vital role in the New Granadan Campaign of 1819 where he commanded the rearguard division of the ''Liberator army of New Granada and Venezuela'' and was noted for his active and courageous participation in that campaign, especially at the

Battle of Boyacá The Battle of Boyacá (1819), also known as the Battle of Boyacá Bridge was a decisive victory by a combined army of Venezuelan and New Granadan troops along with a British Legion led by General Simon Bolivar over the III Division of the Spa ...

which earned him his promotion to

General of Division Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

. After the battle Bolívar appointed him as Commander of the Army of the North based in

Cúcuta Cúcuta (), officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian municipality, capital of the department of Norte de Santander and nucleus of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta. The city is located in the homonymous valley, at the foot of the East ...

and while; en route to take command, he died at the young age of 30 in the town of

Pamplona Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...

on November 15, 1819. The Venezuelan state of

Anzoátegui Anzoátegui State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, states of Venezuela, located in the northeastern region of the country. Anzoátegui is well known for its beaches that attract many visitors. Its coast consists of a single beach approx ...

is named in his honor.

Early life and military beginnings

José Antonio Anzoátegui was born on November 14, 1789, in Barcelona, Venezuela, to Juana Petronila Hernández and José Antonio Anzoátegui. He was destined to play a pivotal role in his nation's struggle for independence.

Role in Venezuelan independence

Anzoátegui joined the pro-independence movement early, becoming an officer in the Venezuelan Emancipating Army in 1810. His leadership and military skills quickly became apparent. He was recognized as one of the most distinguished officers of the liberating army of Venezuela, holding the position of Chief of the Guard of Honor of Simón Bolívar, the Venezuelan military and political leader who played a key role in Latin America's successful struggle for independence.

New Granadan Liberation Campaign

On 26 May 1819, Anzoátegui marched with Bolivar from the Apure Region in Venezuela to the

Casanare Province Casanare Province was one of the provinces of Gran Colombia. History It belonged to the Boyacá Department (Gran Colombia), Boyacá Department, which was created in 1824. The capital was Moreno, now called Paz de Ariporo. Watercolors painted ...

in New Granada to join up with General

Francisco de Paula Santander Francisco José de Paula Santander y Omaña (April 2, 1792 – May 6, 1840) was a Neogranadine military and political leader who served as Vice-President of Gran Colombia between 1819 and 1826, and was later elected by Congress as the President ...

who had been sent there in 1818 to build an army for a military campaign to invade central New Granada and capture the capital of Santa Fe in order to free it from Spanish control. The two armies met in the town of

Tame Tame may refer to: *Taming, the act of training wild animals * River Tame, Greater Manchester *River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley * Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality * "Tame" (song), a song by the Pixies from their 1989 a ...

, on 15 June Bolivar began to organize this army which would be known as ''Ejército Libertador de Nueva Granada y Venezuela'' (English: Liberation Army of New Granada and Venezuela) he named Anzoátegui as the commander of the rearguard division of the army with his division chief-of-staff being the young Lieutenant Colonel Jose Maria Cordova. At the

Battle of Vargas Swamp The Battle of Vargas Swamp () fought on July 25, 1819, was an engagement of Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada. The battle involved a joint Venezuelan and Republic of New Granada, Neogranadine army commanded by General Simón Bolívar ag ...

on July 25, 1819, Anozoátegui's division was placed in the center and the right flank of the Patriot effort and fought bitterly to hold their line. His men contributed to the victory as they were able to push back the royalist infantry, preventing them from linking up with the royalist cavalry in their attempt to encircle them. Anzoátegui played a crucial role at the

. On August 7 his rearguard came down the Camino Real in direction of Santa Fe in order to reach the Boyacá bridge, they were behind Santander's vanguard that came into contact with the royalist vanguard at the ''Casa de Postas'' near 2pm. As Santander engaged them, Anzoátegui ordered his rear guard to turn right and cut off the main bulk of the Royalist Army from reaching their vanguard at the bridge. This caught the royalists off guard and after 2 hours of combat the battle was over, resulting in the complete annihilation of the royalist army. The coordination between the Patriot vanguard and rearguard had been a stroke of luck as Anzoátegui conducted his operations without seeing those of Santander, as he would confess a few months later saying "because, as all those who know the battlefield will have noticed, the movements of a troop are easily hidden by the bushes and the inequality of the terrain." For their actions Bolívar would promote both him and Santander to General of Division. Three days later Anzoátegui marched triumphantly along with the rest of the army into Santa Fe, the victory at Boyacá marked a turning point in the struggle against Spanish colonial rule.

Death and enduring influence

After the battle of Boyacá, Bolívar named him commander of the Army of the North which would be formed in

. While traveling there Anzoátegui became gravely ill died and died en-route on November 15, 1819, in the town of

. His death was unexpected and came at a relatively young age. When news of his death reached the capital of New Granada the authorities decreed a state of mourning for 8 days. Upon hearing of his death Bolívar remarked: '"It is difficult replace with dignity a commander like Anzoátegui ." Cortés Vargas, Carlos. (1969). ''Batalla del Pantano de Vargas 1819.'' Bogotá: Sección de Historia y Publicaciones del Ejército de Colombia. p. 19.

Legacy and honors

Anzoátegui's dedication to the cause of independence was not only significant in terms of military victories but also in shaping the future of Venezuela. His contributions alongside notable figures like Simón Bolívar and

José Antonio Páez José Antonio Páez Herrera (; 13 June 1790 – 6 May 1873) was a Venezuelan politician and military officer who served as the president of Venezuela three times. The first as the 5th president from 1830 to 1835, the second as the 8th president ...

were instrumental in securing Venezuelan independence. In recognition of his service and sacrifice, the Venezuelan state of Anzoátegui was named in his honor, immortalizing his legacy as a hero of independence.

Early life and military beginnings

Role in Venezuelan independence

New Granadan Liberation Campaign

Death and enduring influence

Legacy and honors

References

See also