Battle of La Victoria: Historical page that confirms the greatness of patriotic youth

On February 12, 1814, the Battle of La Victoria took place in the valleys of the state of Aragua, where General José Félix Ribas defeated the royalist troops.

At 8 in the morning the fire opened. Ribas addressed his army: “Soldiers, defend the lives of your children, the honor of your wives, the soil of the Fatherland from the fury of tyrants. We cannot choose between winning or dying, it is necessary to overcome. Long live the Republic!”

General Ribas numbered 1,500 men. The royalists had more than 4,000 troops under the command of Francisco José Morales, who assumed command due to an injury suffered by José Tomás Boves. The laneros and pawns who made up the bulk of Morales' army had been promised to distribute among themselves the riches they found in the sacking of Caracas.

The fight was extremely bloody. Ribas was killed by two of his horses. He would fall to ride again. At half past four in the afternoon, when he had lost almost half of his men, the reinforcement sent by the Liberator Simon Bolivar arrived, some 400 recruits formed, among others, by young seminarians from Caracas.

The courageous Mariano Montilla and Vicente Campo Elías were ordered to charge the attackers and defeated their vanguards, causing many deaths. At half past five in the afternoon, the royalists retreated in disarray in the face of the patriots' clash. Ribas had 100 dead and 400 injured. The Spanish leader Morales retired with 800 dead.

There were no prisoners because there was no barracks. The Homeland suffered the irreparable loss of Luis Rivas Dávila, who was mortally wounded when he faced a charge from Morales' troop. Bolívar congratulated the winners of La Victoria and awarded Ribas the title of Winner of the Tyrants.

Mazo News Team