El Libertador Simón Bolívar, Firmando el Decreto de GUERRA A MUERTE contra los Españoles

The Decree of War to the Death, in Spanish ''Decreto de Guerra a Muerte'', was a decree issued by the South American leader

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

which permitted murder and any atrocities whatsoever to be committed against civilians born in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, other than those actively assisting South American independence, and furthermore exonerated people from the Americas who had already committed such murders and atrocities. The phrase "war to the death" was used as a

euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...

for these atrocities. The decree was an explicit " war of extermination" in Bolívar's attempt to maintain Venezuelan independence in the war with Spain, since he felt that the

Spanish Army The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century. The ...

's use of atrocities against those who supported the

First Republic of Venezuela The First Republic of Venezuela ( es, Primera República de Venezuela) was the first independent government of Venezuela, lasting from 5 July 1811, to 25 July 1812. The period of the First Republic began with the overthrow of the Spanish colonial ...

had contributed decisively to its defeat.Arana, M. (2013). ''Bolivar''. New York: Simon & Schuster, Bolívar promulgated the decree on June 15, 1813, in the Venezuelan city of Trujillo.

Background

The decree states that it was created as a response to severe crimes and massacres by

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

soldiers after the fall of the First Republic, in which Spanish leaders allegedly stole property and executed thousands of Republicans: "we could not indifferently watch the afflictions inflicted to you by the barbaric Spaniards, who have annihilated you with robbery and destroyed you with death, infringed the most solemn treaties and capitulations reference to the San Mateo Capitulation, 1812 in one word, committed every crime, reducing the Republic of Venezuela to the most horrific desolation." It proclaimed that all Peninsular people in Spanish America who didn't actively participate in favor of its independence would be killed, and all South Americans would be spared, even if they had cooperated with the Spanish authorities. (See below for full declaration). The document's ultimate goal was to assure the Venezuelan elites that they would not be unfavorably treated for having collaborated with Domingo de Monteverde and the royalist authorities. The Decree was the first step in transforming the common and legal view of the Venezuelan war of liberation from a mere rebellion (or at best a

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...

) taking place in one of

colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...

, to a full-fledged international

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

between two distinct

countries A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while th ...

, Venezuela and Spain.

Practice of the "''Guerra a Muerte''"

This so-called ''Guerra a Muerte'' was widely practised on both sides, resulting in some extreme brutalities on both sides, such as the execution of Spanish prisoners in

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

and

La Guaira La Guaira () is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of the same name (formerly named Vargas) and the country's main port. It was founded in 1577 as an outlet for Caracas, to the southeast. The town and the port were badly damaged during ...

in February 1814, on orders from Bolívar himself, just before the collapse of the

Second Republic of Venezuela The Second Republic of Venezuela ( es, Segunda República de Venezuela) is the name used to refer to the reestablished Venezuelan Republic declared by Simón Bolívar on 7 August 1813. This declaration followed the defeat of Domingo Monteverde ...

, and the killing of several renowned citizens in New Granada by the royalist army under

Pablo Morillo Pablo Morillo y Morillo, Count of Cartagena and Marquess of La Puerta, a.k.a. ''El Pacificador'' (The Peace Maker) (5 May 1775 – 27 July 1837) was a Spanish general. Biography Morillo was born in Fuentesecas, Zamora, Spain. In 1791 ...

in 1815, 1816 and 1817. The declaration remained in effect until November 26, 1820, when General

met with Bolívar at Santa Ana de Trujillo to declare the war of independence a conventional war.

Text of the Decree

Please note, this English translation is subject to scrutiny.

References

Bibliography

*Stoan, Stephen K. ''Pablo Morillo and Venezuela, 1815-1820''. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1959.

External links

''Decree of War to the Death''
(in Spanish) - Available a
''Archivo del Libertador''

''Decree of War to the Death''
(in Spanish) - Available a
''Televisora Venezolana Social''