‘Do unto the Spaniards as they do unto us’: retaliation, exchange and the regularisation of war, Colombia 1819-1820

Through the analysis of primary sources, this text examines retaliation and vindication in the regularization of warfare and the regulation of strategies (such as prisoner exchange) to mitigate the excesses of an unrestricted war like the Wars of Independence. Within this framework, the execution of the 38 prisoners ordered by Santander in October 1819 is analyzed as an event that sparked discussions about philanthropy and civilization, and as an event that prompted the signing of the Trujillo Treaty between Bolívar and Morillo in 1820. This treaty is understood as a de facto recognition of the Republic of Colombia, a mechanism to promote it in the civilized world, and an initial systematization of the law of nations in the american context.