User:AnniTerziev/Rebellion of April 19th, 1810

On April 19, 1810, the beginning of the struggle for independence from Spanish rule in Venezuela was marked. Vicente Emparan, the Captain General of Venezuela, was removed by an assembly held in the Cabildo of Caracas, paving the way for the formation of the Supreme Junta of Caracas, which officially called itself the Supreme Conservative Board for the Rights of Fernando VII, the first form of autonomous government. Also, the Act of April 19, 1810 was signed, acting on behalf of Fernando VII, the deposed king of Spain, and in disobedience to José Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. On March 2, 1811, the First National Congress was installed, ending the Board, and a tripartite committee composed of Cristóbal Mendoza, Juan Escalona, and Baltasar Padrón was appointed. Finally, on July 5, 1811, the Declaration of Independence was signed, thus forming the First Republic, which later collapsed due to the royalist reaction.[citation needed]

Causes and consequences
On Holy Thursday, April 19, 1810, an extraordinary Cabildo meeting was held in immediate response to the dissolution of the Supreme Board of Spain and the resignation of King Fernando VII. A popular movement arose in the city of Caracas on Holy Thursday, April 19, 1810, thereby initiating the struggle for Venezuela's independence. The movement originated from the rejection of the Caraqueños of the new governor, Vicente Emparan, who had been appointed by the Supreme Board of Spain, which was then dissolved by judicial order.

On Holy Thursday, April 19th, while Captain General Vicente Emparan was heading to mass, a group of aristocrats and Creole bourgeoisie (sons of Spaniards but born in America), members of the Caracas Cabildo, denied the Captain General of Venezuela. He disagreed with this, and from the town hall window, he asked the people gathered in the main square (now Bolivar Square) if they wanted him to continue commanding. The priest Jose Cortes de Madariaga signaled to the crowd to answer negatively. Then Emparan said that he did not want the command either. He resigned and returned to Spain. That same day, the Act of April 19th, 1810 was signed, declaring that they were acting in the name of Fernando VII.

A Government board is then established, which takes the following initiatives: establishing similar boards in the provinces of Cumaná, Margarita, Barinas, Barcelona, Trujillo and Mérida; in addition to freeing foreign trade, prohibiting the trade of black slaves, creating the Patriotic Society (to promote agriculture and industry), as well as the Academy of Mathematics. Diplomatic delegations are sent to countries that could support the insurrection: England, the United States, and New Granada. Three provinces remain loyal to the government established in Spain: Maracaibo, Coro, and Guayana.

This disregard for the authority of the Captain General of Venezuela is a step towards July 5th, 1811, the date on which the Act of the Declaration of Independence of Venezuela was signed, formally declaring Venezuela's independence.