A separatist movement led by José Antonio Páez began in Valencia, challenging Bogotá’s authority and signaling the growing breakdown of cohesion inside Gran Colombia—an early step toward eventual dissolution.
Bolívar personally intervened to defuse the Venezuelan crisis, issuing an amnesty and reaffirming Páez’s authority in Venezuela; the temporary settlement did not resolve underlying disputes over centralism vs. autonomy.
Delegates met in Ocaña to reform the 1821 Constitution of Cúcuta and address deepening political divisions; the convention’s failure intensified the power struggle between federalists and centralists.
With factions deadlocked, the convention broke down, removing the main constitutional path for compromise and setting the stage for Bolívar to concentrate power by decree.
After the Ocaña convention collapsed, Bolívar issued the Organic Decree of the Dictatorship and assumed dictatorial powers, a move that further alienated opponents and accelerated polarization in the republic.
Conspirators attacked the Palacio de San Carlos in Bogotá in an overnight attempt on Bolívar’s life; he escaped, aided by Manuela Sáenz. The episode triggered repression and political trials that deepened the legitimacy crisis.
In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, Francisco de Paula Santander was sentenced to death by a military tribunal; Bolívar commuted the sentence and ordered his exile, removing a leading constitutionalist rival from politics in Bogotá.
Bolívar issued a proclamation convening a constituent congress in Bogotá to reconcile factions and draft a new constitutional framework—an explicit attempt to preserve Gran Colombia amid mounting regional secessionism.
The congress assembled in Bogotá and Bolívar presented his resignation on the opening day; although initially rejected, the gesture underscored how dictatorship, opposition, and regional unrest had made his presidency politically untenable.
Gran Colombia held indirect elections following acceptance of Bolívar’s resignation; Joaquín Mosquera became president and Domingo Caycedo vice president, but the new constitutional order lacked effective authority over fast-unraveling districts.
An assembly in Quito declared separation from Gran Colombia and established the State of Ecuador under Juan José Flores, a decisive step in the republic’s disintegration while Bolívar’s authority was already failing.
Antonio José de Sucre—widely viewed as Bolívar’s most capable successor—was killed near Berruecos. His death removed a key unifying figure at a critical moment of institutional collapse and secessionist momentum.
General Rafael Urdaneta seized power in Bogotá by coup, claiming to act in Bolívar’s name. The takeover illustrated the extent to which constitutional governance had collapsed into competing military and civilian factions.
Venezuela’s constituent congress in Valencia approved a new constitution, institutionalizing its break from Gran Colombia and cementing the loss of one of the republic’s principal districts.
Bolívar’s death ended any remaining prospect that his personal authority could reconstitute Gran Colombia; the political vacuum and secessionist realities made dissolution irreversible.
Simón Bolívar's dictatorship and the 1828 assassination attempt in Bogotá (1826–1830)
