Delegates met in Ocaña to revise the 1821 Constitution of Cúcuta and settle a growing fight between centralists and federalists. The convention quickly became a proxy battle between Bolívar’s supporters and leaders tied to regional autonomy, signaling that military and provincial power was overtaking national institutions.
After weeks of deadlock, pro-Bolívar delegates withdrew, preventing a quorum and ending the convention without reforms. The failure made compromise look impossible and pushed the conflict toward extra-legal solutions, including military pressure and regional “pronunciamientos” (garrisons declaring for a leader or cause).
Bolívar responded to the constitutional crisis by taking extraordinary powers and ruling by decree. This move aimed to restore order, but it also convinced many opponents that the central government was becoming authoritarian, strengthening regional and military resistance.
A group of conspirators stormed the presidential palace and attempted to kill Bolívar, who escaped with help from Manuela Sáenz. The crackdown that followed deepened mistrust between political factions and reinforced the idea that violence, not debate, was deciding Gran Colombia’s future.
As Gran Colombia fought Peru over disputed frontiers, Sucre’s forces defeated a Peruvian invasion near Tarqui. The war effort strained finances and relied heavily on regional armies, worsening resentment toward Bogotá’s demands and making separatist leaders more confident at home.
Bolívar summoned what became the last major national congress to try to reconcile factions and rewrite the political rules. The meeting reflected a country where authority was increasingly regional and military, with leaders preparing for independence if a settlement failed.
Delegates gathered in Valencia in an anti-Bolívar political climate and confirmed José Antonio Páez as the central figure in Venezuela’s new direction. The congress formalized the shift from a national army structure to region-based authority led by caudillos (powerful military-political leaders).
Leaders in Quito proclaimed separation from Gran Colombia and organized the State of Ecuador, elevating General Juan José Flores as chief of government. The move showed how regional commanders could convert military control into new states, accelerating the breakup of the republic.
Antonio José de Sucre—widely seen as a respected leader who might bridge factions—was killed at Berruecos while traveling after political turmoil. His death eliminated a key mediator at the moment the country needed one, and it intensified suspicion that rivals were using armed networks and local strongmen to settle national politics.
General Rafael Urdaneta took control in Bogotá through a military pronunciamiento, claiming authority in Bolívar’s name. The coup showed that the central government itself was now hostage to garrison politics, and provinces increasingly treated Bogotá as just another competing power center.
Venezuela’s congress approved and promulgated a new constitution, completing its break from Gran Colombia in law as well as in practice. This step converted what had been years of military-led resistance into a recognized state framework under Páez’s leadership.
Bolívar died near Santa Marta after resigning and watching the republic fracture. His death removed the most important symbol and organizer of the union, leaving remaining political struggles to be resolved by regional governments and military leaders rather than a shared national project.
Urdaneta’s government lost support and faced organized opposition, leading to an agreement that enabled a transition away from his rule. The episode underlined the pattern of negotiated exits after military takeovers, with legitimacy increasingly tied to regional acceptance rather than national continuity.
The remaining provinces that had not joined Venezuela or Ecuador formed a new state called Nueva Granada under an organic law. This act closed the dissolution process by replacing the old republic with successor states, confirming that regional military and caudillo politics had outlasted the union’s institutions.
Regional military uprisings and caudillo conflicts during Gran Colombia's collapse (1828–1831)