The legal-administrative life of Casanare: historically the territories that today correspond to the department of Casanare have always been called the plains of Casanare since colonial times and that in the Achagua language means river of murky waters that at some moments in history both pre-independence or after independence I cover more land or at other times a smaller geographical extension.
By: JUAN MANUEL NARANJO VARGAS – STORIES OF JUAN MANUEL
From (1821 to 1831) the Province of the Llanos del Casanare are called the Autonomous Province within the Gran Colombiano department of Boyacá.
from 1830 to 1831 The province declares itself independent under the name of the United Government of Casanare, which after its failed secession became part of the Republic of New Granada.
From 1831 to 1857 Casanare remained as a New Granada province
from 1857 to 1863 was integrated into the Sovereign State of Boyacá as one of its provinces
from 1863 to 1867 it becomes directly administered by the nation under the name of Casanare Territory.
from 1867 to 1873 is declared a department
from 1873 to 1892 again it becomes part of the National Territories.
in 1892 The National Administration of Casanare is created with its capital in Orocué
in 1905 merges with the mayor of San Martin
in 1907 returns to be part of Boyacá
in 1911 is part of the special police station of Arauca
in 1912 returns to be part of Boyacá
in 1950 the Casanare Special Police Station is created
in 1953 the military headquarters is created until November 28, 1973
the untold story of those who made the segregation of the Casanare plains of the department of Boyacá possible, the legal-administrative life since the constitution of the republic of Colombia has had many ups and downs
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the approval by the Congress of the Republic of Colombia of Law 19 of 1973 that allowed the segregation of Casanare de Boyacá. Administratively, the Municipality of Casanare was born on May 15, 1974, for many of the people of Casanare it is an irrelevant and unknown fact.
But it was an arduous political struggle by those who dreamed of seeing Casanare segregated from Boyacá and having their own political-administrative life without depending on the neighboring department.
On whom did the political responsibility fall? (1970-1973) in Carlos Hernández Vargas (Representative of Boyacá and Casanare) but of Casanareño origin; Getulio Vargas (Deputy from Boyacá) of Casanareño origin and Eduardo Fonseca Galán (Representative to the Chamber for Boyacá and Casanare) former leader of the liberal guerrillas from 1948 to 1953, in the case of the latter he did not hold the idea of to separate from Boyacá, because part of his political fort was in Boyacá.
Among the leaders who represented the political power in Casanare there was skepticism towards the idea of separating from Boyacá because they felt comfortable within Boyacá politics or were already part of the political power, but other leaders firmly believed in the idea.
But it was a daunting task, not only because of the internal political differences, but also because the government party was the Conservative and Casanare was recognized as a land of liberals, due to the bloody war that they gave to the conservative governments during the partisan war, achieving this was a silent fight of dreamers and I could say that it is one of the most important feats in the administrative life of the department, these great men achieved the impossible, that in a conservative administration, they would politically defeat a conservative department in Congress and convince Doña Bertha Hernández de Ospina, conservative senator and leader in the Congress of the Conservative Party, who without her support and the bench of her community would never have been able to become independent from Boyacá.
Political support endorsed by Law 19 of November 28, 1973, where legal-administrative independence was returned to the Casanare plains, ratified by Presidential Decree 881 of May 14, 1974.
It was an award to a vast region of Colombia that has historical importance in the liberation and cultural feat, and geographically the Boyacá mountain range separates us; it was fair with the people of Casanare, the support of Misael Pastrana who goes down in the history of this department as one of the great presidents
The importance of this fight allowed us, in the future, to enjoy the oil royalties that have been the main engine of development, in the face of many years of abandonment by the central government.
The Constitution of 1991 transformed us into a department because we were already an Intendancy, another story would have been if we had not separated from Boyacá, we would be like Urabá Antioqueño or other regions that today request their administrative independence.
The Great Men
Luis Alberto Hernandez Vargas Liberal political leader and intellectual from Casanareño, he was born in La Salina on May 16, 1916, a lawyer by profession, and peace manager in the pacification process of the plains with the Liberal guerrillas from 1948 to 1953, he was also Secretary of the Commission in the House of Representatives, plenipotentiary minister before the united nations, representative to the chamber for Boyacá and Casanare who is given the authorship of the bill for the creation of the intendancy.
During his tenure as representative, he presented on many occasions the separation project of Casanare from Boyacá, presenting various formulas or proposals to settle the differences with the political class of Boyacá, among the proposals he made, Sogamoso was proposed to be the capital of Casanare but not they accepted.
He died prematurely in 1969 as a result of the injuries caused in the tragic accident at the inauguration of the suspension bridge of La Cabuya in Yopal, Casanare in 1964, and other health complications that he suffered and after being treated at the San Pedro Claver Clinic in Bogotá, he was taken to the United States to receive medical attention, there he was evicted, he returned to Colombia to live his last days. The feat of his brother continues Carlos Hernandez Vargasa doctor by profession, who, being a representative to the chamber, leads the fight started by his brother.
What did Carlos Hernández Vargas propose to be able to approve the law?: That the electoral subscription of Casanare and Boyacá be maintained, something that was accepted by the Tunja leadership.
In passing through the Congress of the law, the conservative Cornelio Reyes was the speaker of the bill in the chamber, and in the senate, the conservative Jaime Serrano Rueda.
In the Casanare plains, a Casanare de Boyacá segregation committee was formed, led by young people who promoted the project by carrying out activities as town criers and promoters, such as Álvaro Riveros and Beto Barreto.
List of Mayors:
· Fabio Riveros Morales May 20, 1974 to August 31, 1974
· Miguel Angel Contreras September 1, 1974 to July 24, 1975
· Edgar Solano Chaparro July 25, 1975 to September 13, 1976
· Homer Abril Riano September 14, 1976 to August 20, 1977
· Alvaro Bacca Barrera August 21, 1977 to April 22, 1978
· Ali de Jesus Dalel Baron April 23, 1978 to March 11, 1979
· Getulio Vargas Baron March 12, 1979 to March 12, 1981
· Edilberto Perez Suarez March 13, 1981 to April 6, 1981 (e)
· Oscar Celio Mora Vargas April 7, 1981 to July 31, 1982
· Nelson Ossa Suarez August 1, 1982 to October 18, 1982 (e)
· Luz Marina González Valcárcel October 19, 1982 to October 10, 1984
· Antonio Jose Gomez Corredor October 11, 1984 to September 24, 1986
· Pedro Julio Florez Hernandez September 25, 1986 to July 12, 1988
· Alicia Ramirez de Traslavina July 13, 1988 to August 17, 1988 (e)
· Fabio Pinilla Castellanos August 18, 1988 to October 30, 1990
· Jorge Prieto Riveros October 31, 1990 to July 4, 1991
Today we can say that thanks to this feat of these great men we are an autonomous and independent department with the longest period in the history of its legal-administrative life with territorial stability (1974-2023) from the creation of the Intendancy and subsequent transformation into the department of Casanare by the constitution of 1991.
Barreto, B. (2023, February 17). Personal communications. Yopal, Casanare.
Congress of the Republic of Colombia. (1973, November 28). Ley 19. Bogota.
Congress of the Republic of Colombia. (1991). Political Constitution of Colombia. Bogota.
E. Hernandez. (2023, March 10). Personal communications. Yopal, Casanare.
Casanare Governorate. (March 2023). Governorate of Casanare. Obtained from List of Mayors of Casanare:
Republic ofColombia. (1974, May 14). Decree 881. Bogota.
By: JUAN MANUEL NARANJO VARGAS – STORIES OF JUAN MANUEL