Santa Cruz de Mompox declares independence from Spain
- When
- 1810
- Where
- Santa Cruz de Mompox
- Episodes
- 1
On August 6, 1810, Santa Cruz de Mompox declared independence from Spain, becoming the first town in Colombia to do so. The declaration occurred under the motto 'Be free or die' and involved the signing of an Act of Independence. This event preceded the broader Colombian War of Independence, which is traditionally dated to July 20, 1810, in Bogotá.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. The Colombian War of Independence is traditionally held as having begun on July 20, 1810, when a government junta was created in Santa Fe de Bogotá. However, various other provinces of New Granada, such as Cartagena and Socorro, had formed their own autonomous governments weeks before the main junta of Santa Fe de Bogotá. Mompox played an important role in the independence of America from Spain.
Declaration of Independence. On August 6, 1810, Santa Cruz de Mompox was the first town in Colombia to declare its independence from Spain. The declaration was made under the motto 'Be free or die' (Ser libres o morir). The Act of Independence from Spain was signed in Mompox, and the cry 'Freedom or Death' was first heard there.
Symbolism. The flag of Mompox, which is red with a white cross in the center, dates back to this time in 1810.
Sources
- Santa Cruz de Mompox Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26
- Colombian War of Independence Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-19
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.