| Battle of Urica | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofVenezuelan War of Independence | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Provinces of Venezuela |  Spanish Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| José Félix Ribas José Francisco Bermúdez | José Tomás Boves † Francisco Tomás Morales | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4,000 men[1] | 7,000 men[1] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 800–1,500 dead 500 prisoners killed[1] | 800–1,000 dead[1] | ||||||
.svg)  Location within Venezuela | |||||||
TheBattle of Urica took place during theWar of Venezuelan Independence in the village ofUrica (in modern-dayAnzoátegui) on 5 December 1814, between the forces of Republican general in chiefJosé Félix Ribas and RoyalistcaudilloJosé Tomás Boves. Although Boves died, the Royalists won the battle.
After the defeat in theBattle of Aragua de Barcelona, Simón Bolívar and Santiago Mariño were relieved of command by General Ribas on 2 September. InCariaco he met with ColonelManuel Piar, but mutual disagreements led them to divide their forces. Piar marched to Cumaná and was defeated by Boves in theBattle of El Salado [es] on 16 October.
Ribas had to march toMaturín to join up with Republican Colonel José Francisco Bermúdez. Together they decided to march to Urica to finish off Francisco Tomás Morales, Boves' second, who had previously been defeated by Bermúdez in theFourth Battle of Maturín [es]. However, during the march they learned of Boves' proximity.[2]
Ribas decided to retreat but Bermúdez refused and fought Boves in theBattle of Los Magüeyes [es] on 9 November. The colonel was defeated and his forces dispersed, weakening the Republicans.After this battle, Bermúdez and his defeated army joined Ribas inMaturín.
In the meantime, Boves and his troops had linked up with the forces commanded by his lieutenant,Francisco Tomás Morales, in Urica.[2]
Ribas for the Republicans commanded a force of 2,000, includingJosé Tadeo Monagas, Pedro Zaraza, Manuel Cedeño, and Francisco Parejo. The Republican force deployed in three columns at dawn on December 5 on a plain near the town of Urica.
Boves led the first attack, targeting Bermúdez's column. This attack was repulsed, and heavy artillery fire inflicted casualties on the Royalist forces. Ribas ordered an attack and successfully encircled Boves' column on the Royalist right.
Boves, finding his column surrounded, led an attack by 400 cavalry in an attempt to break the Republican lines, but was killed in the fighting.[3] The remaining unengaged Royalist columns encircled the Republicans, sealing a Royalist victory, although with heavy casualties on both sides.
Boves' death had far-reaching consequences. He was succeeded by Morales, but in the long run thellaneros he had led joined the Republican cause under the leadership ofJosé Antonio Páez following efforts by the Republicancriollo elite to attract mixed-race and lower class Venezuelans to the cause of independence.[4]