assembly to revise the constitution of the state and make it even more centralist, and then decided to annex the surrounding provinces of Tunja, Socorro, Pamplona, Mariquita, and Neiva, but was mostly unsuccessful on both enterprises. Nevertheless, the relentless hostility and harassment from Nariño's partisans pushed the members of the Congress to leave Santafé and to escape, first to Leyva and finally to Tunja. This would be the start of the period in the history of the recently founded country that would later be called "the Foolish Mortherland." Soon, the Cundinamarca province became embroiled in civil war against other provinces, particularly Tunja, where the Congress had settled. Nariño ordered General Antonio Baraya to defeat the federalist leaders in Tunja, but Baraya decided to switch sides and support the federalist forces, and many important leaders like Santander and Caldas joined him. Baraya, and the rebels with him, signed an act that declared Nariño an usurper and a tyrant, and pledged loyalty to the Congress. Nariño used the opportunity to request extraordinary powers from the legislature of Cundinamarca, which allowed him to be appointed as a dictator. On November 26, 1812, Nariño left with his army to conquer Tunja. On December 2, 1812, his army faced a federalist army commanded by Antonio Ricaurte and Atanasio Girardot in the Battle of Ventaquemada, and was soundly defeated, having to retreat back to Santafé. The federalist troops, however, only started pursuing them more than a week later. Following this defeat, and the subsequent declaration of independence from the Province of Socorro, Nariño resigned as soon as he arrived to the city, but not finding a suitable replacement, he was reinstalled as dictator. Nariño then prepared to defend the city, which was put under siege by the Congress' army on December 24, 1812. Nevertheless, on January 9, 1813, in the Battle of San Victorino, Nariño's troops proved superior and the federalist armies were completely defeated. In June 1813, he was appointed dictator for life, and the following month, the Republic of Cundinamarca finally declared independence from the Spanish Monarchy. Southern campaign In July 1813, General Nariño began an intensive military campaign against the Spanish and Royalist forces in the south of the country, intending to reach Pasto and eventually Quito. Nariño's forces, known as the 'Army of the South,' and numbering between 1.500 and 2.000 men, managed to capture Popayán in January 1814 after defeating the