Last modified: 2008-07-19 by dov gutterman
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Copyright notice: Check the referred pages for image credits.
Colombia, Ecuador
and Venezuela retained the tricolour of the
Great Colombian Federate Republic when it broke up 1830-32. It
was designed by Francisco Miranda and was carried by Simon
Bolivar in all his battles to free South America from Spanish
rule (he had hoped that the Gran Colombia would be a step towards
federating all of South America).
The colours are said to symbolise golden America seperated from
bloody Spain by the blue sea.
Paul Adams , 29 November 1995
The Gran Colombia Tricolour was originally the family/personal
Flag of Francisco de Miranda. Miranda's flag had as much chance
of becoming the flag for the Colombia/Ecuador/Venezuela
revolution as Simon Bolivar's flag.
Miranda's was "chosen" because it was already in use by
Miranda's militant faction before Bolivar (who at the time was
taking a more diplomatic approach to the Spanish rule problem)
actively joined the military effort.
This information is not based in any one published document, but
on my general education (I grew up in Venezuela). If you wish, I
can try to dig up Simon Bolivar's flag (red field with blue
border, and - I think - a gold or silver star in the middle --
forgive my bad terminology), and any other historical flags
related to this region.
Fabio E. Speciale, 13 March 1997
Concering the República de la Gran Colombia (the federation
of Venezuela, Nueva Granada [Colombia] and Quito [Ecuador). I
believe the information above about the Great Colombia is not
correct. Its design is, indeed, based in Miranda´s tricolori,
adopted by the first Vednezuelan Government of 1811 and it was
certainly used by Bolivar (with certain modifications) throughout
his political carreer. However, the symbolism cited by Fabio
Speciale is incomplete and the origin of the Miranda Tricolori
itself, mentioned by Mr Speciale is inaccurate. The yellow, blue
and red flag was not derived from Miranda's familya colours.
Despite the fact that he toyed with the idea of a South Americna
Kingdom, General Miranda was not a nobleman: he was not the
descendant fo Spanish Officers or a member of the Criollo
nobility which ruled. While white, General Miranda was the son of
a well-off but not "honourable" craftsman. As a matter
of fact, a controversy with the local upper class over his
father's origins, led General Miranda to pursue a life abroad,
away from the discriminating province of Caracas. In such life,
he lived many adventures, joined the American and French
Revolutions, was part of Europe´s most important courts and,
while gazing at the colours of a Hamburg Granadier's regime, got
the idea for the tricolori (red-blue-yellow; depicted somehow in
every flag he designed). Also, there is no such thing a
Bolivar's Flag. Not what Mr Specially cites, at least. Bolivar
designed a flag much similar to that of 1814 (shown in your
pages), but adding one blue star to the seven which lied already
on the yellow stripe, representing liberated Angostura.
Guillermo T. Aveledo, 23 September 1999
The image at the top of the page represents the flag of what
is now known as the "Great Colombia" Republic, known
then (in 1821), plainly as the República de Colombia.
Current-day Colombia was then named "Nueva Granada",
and had its own CoA and flag . This flag is not of Colombia (as
we know it today) but of the union of the republics of Venezuela,
Nueva Granada (Colombia) and Ecuador.
Guillermo T. Aveledo, 4 November 1999
Bolivar organized Angostura Congress in february 1819 and in
August was he formed some kind of executive congress as a
provisional government but mainly military. In this era was used
the tricolor of Miranda, but it was never legislated and the its
variants and devices if any, are uncertain
On 17 december 1819 the Republic of Colombia was
proclaimed (historicaly known as Great Colombia but then called
only Colombia), under the conservative leader Bolivar, with three
departments (Venezuela, Cundinamarca and nominally Quito that was
still in hands of royalists). Vice-Presidents were the
New-Granadian Santander, liberal, and Roscio. By a decree it was
stablished at the end of 1919 that the new republic will use the
flag of Venezuela until another decree of General Congress,
arguing that the ensign of Venezuela is the most known.
Venezuela used the Miranda flag in 1811-1812. It was under
spanish domination but in 1813 Bolivar in the called
"Campana Admirable" recover wide areas and declared war
until death against the spanish, but seems that in this era the
Miranda flag was not widely used. After defeated by Boves in
1814, Bolivar fought in New Grenada under venezolan or
Cartagenian/Granadinian flag but in 1815/16, the Spanish
recovered all territories. Rebellion restarted in 1817 under
Miranda flag in Venezuela, and 1819 in New Granada. Venezuela-New
Granada formed the Colombia republic at end of 1819 and adopted
the tricolor. Generally used without arms (in Venezuela, stars
were added temporary) the first pattern of the used state flag
was based on the Venezuelan flag of 1811, with the arms in
canton. This flag was in use officially until 10 January 1820 in
the so-called Great Colombia (Venezuela-Nueva Granada) when it
was changed in the department of Cundinamarca (but later in use
in Venezuela). Is possible that the arms were also put in center
instead canton
In 1820 Cundinamarca adopted arms that were put on the flag while
Venezuela maintain the old flag. Some weeks later this arms were
adopted as provisional arms of the whole republic and was put on
flags (in all the republic of Great Colombia). In 1821 the first
official arms of Colombia were adopted and put on flags in whole
of the Republic. In 1822 second arms were adopted.
Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
On 10 January 1820, the department of Cundinamarca, one of the
three official departments of the republic (in fact only two
since the third was in hands of Spain) adopted arms of its own
alleging that the arms of the republic (that was supposed to be
used by in wholerepublic but was really used only in Venezuela)
are not known in Cundinamarca (I assume that it was not known to
the people and intermediate and minor autorities). This arms, put
on flags, was the orign to a departamental flag. While Venezuela
follow using the previous flag, that was the Republic one (but in
fact was only the Venezuela departament flag). No indication was
given where must be the arms in flag: following national flag it
must be mainly in canton, but most comon is use in center.
On 12 July 1821, the national congress decree that the arms of
Cundinamarca must be used on the national flag, as national arms
until that new arms are decreed. Thus, the departamental flag of
Cundinamarca was converted into national flag of the Great
Colombia, and officially must be used in the department of
Venezuela. A variant with the lower stripes of same size, was
also used. (see: 1820 Cundinamarca Flags
and Coat of Arms)
Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
Lucien Philippe reports flag with stripes 8:7:6 and centered
arms dated 1821. I reconstructed this reports with the oval model
(according plate and according Philippe), single emblem, and
round model (from Philippe). (see: 1821
Flags and Coat of Arms).
Also Philippe mentions flags with stars. Restrepo don't believe
that those are Colombian New-Granadian but Colombian Venezuelan.
The sure fact is that in on 12 May 1817 the governmente called
"Federal Pampatar government" was established in
Venezuela that adopted the Miranda's flag with seven light blue
stars. In 20 November 1817 a eighth star was added meaning
Guayana. Philippe reports this flags as used in Colombia c. 1820,
but this is probably a missinterpretation. Philippe even reports
a flag with 9 stars it but must be a wrong hand made flag or a
mistake. With three stars the models are well known. There are
many variants and those were used probably between 1819 and 1921,
only on flags with stripes 2:1:1. (see: Venezuela - Historical Flags)
Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
On 11 July 1822 Guayaquil was incorporated and Republic of
Colombia (known as Great Colombia) reached its final
configuration (Puerto Cabello was conquered some months later and
on 1 June 1824 was the last battle against the pro-spanish
forces. According Restrepo Uribe new arms were adopted c. 1822
and are shown in many official documents. The image from restrepo
show 3 stars (surely for three original departments) but also
show a variant with 10 stars, and quote the existence of others
variants with different number of stars. The most appropiate
designs must be of 3, 9 and 12 stars since the departments were
changed from 3 to 9 (with two still in hands of Spain) and from 9
to 12. (see: 1822 Coat of
Arms)
This arms were put on flags either in the canton or in the
center. The first pattern must be used in flags with stripes in
different proportions for each one, but I believe that the second
and third pattern were used with stripes ratio of 2:1:1. (see:
1822 Flags)
From the creation of the republic surrounding forces worked
against it. General Paez in venezuela directed the movement
called "Cosiata" on April 1826 and denied the autority
of the acting president General Santander. Bolivar, that was out
the country, got back to Bogota, took the presidency on 1827 and
stopped the attempt of separation of Venezuela and started the
dictaturship. However, Paez remain in control of the military
forces in Venezuela and neighbourghs departments. In 1828
liberals try to depose the conservative Bolivar in the
"Revolution of September". On October 1828, the
liberals Jose Maria Obando y Jose Hilario Lopez revolted in Cauca
Valley, but were defeated. Then a war against Peru was started
since Cundinamarca claimed Maynas and Jaen. On November 1829,
Paez, for another time, didn't recognize the authority of the
Congress and a new congress was assembled in Valencia nd on 21
January 1830 proclaimed the independence of Venezuela. Bolivar
was dismissed and left to exile. A convention in Bogota (the
"Congreso Admirable") in January accepted the end of
the Republic. Guayaquil and Quito also separated. Departments of
Boyaca, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Magdalena and Panama (renamed Istmo)
created a new state named Colombia.
Jaume Ollé, 7 October 2001
Before 1834, the shade of blue in colobian flags was celeste
(light blue) and not the same shade of the current national flag.
Jaume Ollé, 26 October 2001
At J.W Norie - J.S. Hobbs: Flaggen aller seefahrenden
Nationen, 1971 [nor71] (original
print 1848):
276 Colombia - Yellow over blue over white 2:1:1, with in the
yellow in the hoist three five-pointed blue stars pointing down,
placed 2 before 1. If the last stripe is supposed to be red, this
looks like a Great Columbian flag, with the stars directly on the
flag, instead of in arms on the flag. (see: Venezuela - Historical Flags)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001
I found in the following page <www.banrep.gov.co>
an old flag of Great Colombia Federal Republic which has the
three stripes with equal wide (like the original flag design by
Francisco de Miranda and the current Flag of Venezuela). It
called my attention so much because I thought that in Great
Colombia the stripes with different wide were always used (even I
know that in some cases appears flags with three different
wides).
Francisco Gregoric, 13 Febuary 2003
According to which we have investigating until now, some Great
Colombia' Military Corps used standards with equal stripes. In
addition to which on the link provided to us by Francisco
appears the Standard of the Battalion "VICTORIOUS IN
AYACUCHO" which also shows equal stripes.
Raul Orta, 28 Febuary 2003
image by Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
I first draw the indian women in the 1820 arms from the
drawing by Restrepo Uribe in Banderas 30. In fact seems to
be an native man, but no doubt that correctly it is an native
woman. I analyzed the details and it must be a woman in the image
of Banderas (#30). I retouched it to give a more femenin aspect
to it without changing the design from Banderas.
Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 2 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001
I believe this Coat of Arms was based on France's emblem although a more
elaborate version can bee seen here at Ralf Hartemnik's
Civic Arms Heraldry website. This symbol is officially called
"The National Symbol of the French Republic" (since
1953) and this version of the National Symbol of the French
Republic was created under the 4th Republic by a ministerial
commission meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on June
3rd, 1953
Source: Robert
Louis' website.
Colombia most likely adopted this Emblem as a Coat of Arms based
on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen made
in France in 1798, translated from French to Spanish for the
first time by Antonio Nariño, a man who would be later be one of
the leaders of Colombia's independence, having a Department named after him and also a
General who participated in the early battles of Colombia's
Independence waiving his own flag.
Antonio Nariño himself was influenced greatly, as were other
South American leaders of the time, by the French ideal of a
Republic.
E.R., 25 November 2007
