Prior to the document 's publication , Bolívar had been an officer in the Venezuelan army . The First Republic , however , was defeated due to a number of movements that confronted and exploited each other such as the royalists who fought for the old order , the supporters of independence who fought for creole supremacy , and the '' pardos '' , blacks , and slaves who fought for their liberation . The conflict was exacerbated by a number of factors such as the shortage of provisions and the effects of the 1812 Caracas earthquake , among others . Bolivar started acting on his own , leaving La Guaira on a Spanish ship . He briefly stayed in Curaçao before finally arriving in Cartagena . he accepted a commission in the army of the United Provinces of New Granada ( Colombia ) , which later granted him permission to lead a force to free Venezuela , in what became known as the Admirable Campaign
1812 Caracas earthquake
1812 Caracas earthquake
Cartagena Manifesto