existence". On May 1, 1824, Ferdinand VII issued an amnesty decree pardoning those involved in the rebellion, which omitted O'Donojú and his followers, including Valero de Bernabé, who were still threatened with execution if they entered Spanish soil. Spanish American wars of independence Joining Bolívar; ratification of rank Valero de Bernabé harbored intentions to pursue the independence of the Caribbean colonies, the last bastion of the Spanish in the New World, including his native Puerto Rico and expected to have Bolívar's support once the South American wars were over. After arriving to La Guaira's port, he offered his services to the Colombian army, which were accepted by the Vice President, general Santander, who informed him that Bolívar was currently focused on the situation at Peru, where a number of treasons have left him understaffed and suspicious, and that he could not make a compromise on his initiative to pursue the independence of the Antilles at the moment. At Bogota he not only met Santander, but also the general in charge of Simón Bolívar's incursion at Peru, Carlos Soublette. However, a wait of several months that followed until the organization of an army bored him. Instead of remaining inactive, Valero de Bernabé contacted general Páez on October 20, 1823, who was still battling at Venezuela, offering his services. However, the officer learned that he was being reassigned to take charge of a division at Bogota and declined. On October 28, Valero de Bernabé was formally informed of his post by Colombia's Secretary of Exterior P. Gual. He was given the rank of brigadier general and assigned to serve as Commander in Chief of the Second Column at Magdalena, from which they were going to Peru to aid Bolívar. Valero de Bernabé found himself in command of unprepared troops, since the bulk of the army was there already. On November 24, 1823, the delegation of a Cuban independentist group tied to Bernabé Sánchez arrived to La Guaira with intentions of contacting Bolívar, serendipitously staying in the same inn as him. Among them were José Antonio Miralla, Fructuoso del Castillo, José Ramón Betancourt, José Agustín Arango, Gaspar Betancourt Cisneros and José Aniceto Iznaga. Recognizing common goals, Valero de Bernabé invited them to travel along him to Bogotá, where he was going to meet Santander. The group travelled towards Caracas, where the Cubans met the president of the Colombian Supreme Court Francisco Javier Yáñez,