Battle of Vargas Swamp: The most important battles of the Colombian War of Independence.

The battle of the Vargas Swamp was the most important in Colombia's independence war.

This battle, fought between the night of July 24 and the morning of July 25, 1819, was the bloodiest of the War of Independence.

Royalist troops were on top of Picacho Hill, leaving nowhere to retreat for the patriot's army. Bolivar was forced to fight, aiming to take over the Hill, but failed several times.

After hours of combat, the patriots were about to surrender, and Spanish commander José María Barreiro was sure of his win when Colonel Juan José Rondón arrived with his Llanero Cavalry and demanded from Bolivar that he and his riders had not yet fought.

Bolivar responded, "Colonel Rondón! Save the republic!" This last attack, led by 14 lancers, dispersed the Spanish ranks and put them in retreat, allowing Bolivar to take the shortest route to Santa Fe de Bogotá and win the war that would end on August 7 with the battle of Boyacá.