Editing Viceroyalty of New Granada (section)

== Colonial history ==
[[File:Imperios Español y Portugués 1790.svg|thumb|left|Spanish and Portuguese empires, 1790.]]
Two centuries after the establishment of the [[New Kingdom of Granada]] in the 16th century, whose governor was dependent upon the [[Viceroy]] of Peru at [[Lima]], and an ''[[Audiencia Real|audiencia]]'' at [[Bogotá|Santa Fe de Bogotá]] (today capital of the republic of Colombia), the slowness of communications between the two capitals led to the creation of an independent Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717 (and its reestablishment in 1739 after a short interruption). Other provinces corresponding to modern Ecuador, the eastern and southern parts of today's Venezuela,<ref>{{in lang|es}} Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela. Caracas: Fundación Polar, 1997.</ref> and Panama came together in a political unit under the jurisdiction of Bogotá, confirming that city as one of the principal administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the [[New World]], along with Lima and Mexico City. Sporadic attempts at reform were directed at increasing efficiency and centralizing authority, but control from Spain was never very effective.

The rough and diverse geography of northern South America and the limited range of proper roads made travel and communications within the viceroyalty difficult. The establishment of an autonomous [[Captaincy General of Venezuela|Captaincy General in Caracas]] in 1777 and the preservation of the older [[Real Audiencia of Quito|Audiencia of Quito]], nominally subject to the Viceroy but for most purposes independent, was a response to the necessities of effectively governing the peripheral regions. Some analysts also consider that these measures reflected a degree of local traditions that eventually contributed to the differing political and national differences among these territories once they became independent in the nineteenth century and which the unifying efforts of [[Simón Bolívar]] could not overcome.

=== Guajira rebellion ===
[[Image:Map of La Guajira 1769.png|thumb|left|250px|Map of La Guajira in 1769]]
The Spanish had never subjugated the [[Wayuu]]. The two groups were in a more or less permanent state of war. There had been rebellions in 1701 (when they destroyed a [[Order of Friars Minor Capuchin|Capuchin]] mission), 1727 (when more than 2,000 Wayuus attacked the Spanish), 1741, 1757, 1761 and 1768. In 1718, Governor [[Soto de Herrera]] called them "barbarians, horse thieves, worthy of death, without God, without law, and without a king." Of all the Indians in the territory of Colombia, the Wayuu were unique in having learned the use of firearms and horses.<ref name=TGR>{{cite web|url=http://www.banrep.gov.co/blaavirtual/revistas/credencial/junio1990/junio2.htm|title=La rebelión Guajira de 1769 : algunas constantes de la Cultura Wayuu y razones de su pervivencia – banrepcultural.org|work=banrep.gov.co}}</ref>

In 1769 the Spanish took 22 Wayuus captive, in order to put them to work building the fortifications of [[Cartagena, Colombia|Cartagena]]. The reaction of the Wayuus was unexpected. On 2 May 1769, at El Rincón, near [[Riohacha]], they set their village afire, burning the church and two Spaniards who had taken refuge in it. They also captured the priest. The Spanish immediately dispatched an expedition from El Rincón to capture the Wayuus. At the head of this force was José Antonio de Sierra, a [[mestizo]] who had also headed the party that had taken the 22 Guajiro captives. The Guajiros recognized him and forced his party to take refuge in the house of the curate, which they then set afire. Sierra and eight of his men were killed.<ref name=TGR/>

[[Image:Pedro Messía de la Cerda (3).jpg|thumb|left|[[Pedro Messía de la Cerda]], Viceroy of New Granada]]
This success was soon known in other Guajiro areas, and more men joined the revolt. According to [[Pedro Messía de la Cerda, 2nd Marquis of Vega de Armijo|Messía]], at the peak, there were 20,000 Wayuus [[under arms]]. Many had firearms acquired from English and Dutch smugglers, sometimes even from the Spanish. This enabled the rebels to take nearly all the settlements of the region, which they burned. According to the authorities, more than 100 Spaniards were killed and many others were taken prisoner. Many cattle were also taken by the rebels. The Spaniards took refuge in [[Riohacha]] and sent urgent messages to [[Maracaibo]], [[Valledupar]], [[Santa Marta]] and Cartagena, the latter responding by sending 100 troops. The rebels themselves were not unified. Sierra's relatives among the Indians took up arms against the rebels to avenge his death. A battle between the two groups of Wayuus was fought at La Soledad. That and the arrival of the Spanish reinforcements caused the rebellion to fade away, but not before the Guajiro had regained much territory.<ref name=TGR/>

{{History of Colombia}}