Battle of Camino Real
First battle of the Ecuadorian War of Independence.
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The Battle of Camino Real, fought on 9 November 1820, was the first engagement of the Ecuadorian War of Independence. It resulted in a victory for the Patriot forces of the Free Province of Guayaquil over the Royalist soldiers supporting the Spanish Empire.
Background
The Royal Audiencia of Quito had remained a Royalist stronghold after the Quito Revolution was suppressed. Following Bolívar's 1819 campaign that liberated Colombia, Patriots in Guayaquil organized the successful October 9 Revolution, establishing the Free Province of Guayaquil. The revolutionaries then decided to liberate Quito and raised an army.
The battle
The combat occurred in the Camino Real sector near Bilován, south of Guaranda. The Guayaquil troops, known as the División Protectora de Quito, advanced northwest toward Quito. Royalists under Colonel Antonio Fominaya had fortified Camino Real to stop the Patriots and later attack Guayaquil. The Royalists set ambushes, but the Patriots learned of Fominaya's movements, devised a winning strategy, and forced the Royalists to retreat north.
Did You Know?
- In the following weeks, the Patriot troops suffered serious defeats that jeopardized their independence.
- In 1821, the Patriots obtained help from Gran Colombia and achieved their final objective after a campaign lasting two years.
More in Spanish American Wars of Independence
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Battle of Camino Real (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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