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Order of Boyacá
View on Wikipedia| Order of Boyacá Orden de Boyacá | |
|---|---|
Insignia of the Order of Boyacá | |
| Awarded by | |
| Awarded for | Exceptional service to Colombia |
| Status | Currently constituted |
| Grand Master | President of Colombia |
| Grades | Gran Collar, Gran Cruz Extraordinaria, Gran Cruz, Gran Official, Cruz de Plata, Comendador, Oficial, and Caballero |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Military Order of St. Matthew[1] |
| Next (lower) | Order of San Carlos[1] |
Ribbon bar of the Order of Boyacá | |
The Order of Boyacá (Spanish: Orden de Boyacá) is the highest peacetime decoration of Colombia. The order is awarded for exceptional service to distinguished Colombian military officers and civilians as well as foreign citizens of friendly nations. Established in 1922, the Order of Boyacá traces its origin to a Cruz de Boyacá that was awarded to the generals who led their forces to victory in the Battle of Boyaca in 1819. Reestablished in 1919 as an award for military personnel the order has undergone revisions and expansions into its current form, with the biggest change happening in 1922 where civilians became eligible to be awarded the Order of Boyaca.
Grades
[edit]The Order of Boyacá is awarded in eight different grades:[2]
- Grand Collar (Gran Collar), awarded to heads of state and to the President of Colombia upon his election.
- Grand Cross Extraordinary (Gran Cruz Extraordinaria), awarded to former heads of state and Colombian Cardinals.
- Grand Cross (Gran Cruz), awarded to Cardinals, Ambassadors, Ministers of State, Marshals, Generals of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant Generals, Admirals, or individuals of an equal or similar rank.
- Grand Officer (Gran Oficial), awarded to Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary, Archbishops, Major Generals, Brigadier Generals, Admirals, Vice Admirals, or individuals of an equal or similar rank.
- Silver Cross (Cruz de Plata), awarded to individuals and organizations as recognition for tenure and length of service.
- Commander (Comendador), awarded to Ministers Residents, business owners and managers, Bishops, Colonels, Lieutenant colonels, Majors, Captains, Commanders, Lieutenant Commanders, or individuals of an equal or similar rank.
- Officer (Oficial), Chargé d'affaires ad interim, Counselors, First Secretaries, Consuls General, Captains, Lieutenants, or individuals of an equal or similar rank.
- Knight (Caballero), awarded to Second and Third Secretaries, Consuls and Vice-Consuls, Attachés to embassies and legations, Lieutenants and Second Lieutenants, Lieutenants (junior grade) and Ensigns, or individuals of an equal or similar rank.
| Ribbon bars of the Order of Boyacá | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Collar |
Grand Cross Extraordinary |
Grand Cross |
Grand Officer | ||||
Silver Cross |
Commander |
Officer |
Knight | ||||
Notable recipients
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "DECRETO 4444 DE 2010 (noviembre 29) Diario Oficial No. 47.908 de 29 de noviembre de 2010". cancilleria.gov.co/. Cancilleria Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
- ^ "ORDEN DE BOYACÁ". Cancilleria Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
- ^ "Presidente Petro le entregó a Pepe Mujica la Orden de Boyacá en Uruguay" (in Spanish). 5 December 2024.
- ^ "Presidente Boric recibe a mandatario colombiano Gustavo Petro en el Palacio de La Moneda" [President Boric receive to colombian president at Palacio de la Moneda] (in Spanish). el Mostrador. 9 January 2023. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ Castillo, Laura (2022-04-29). "Duque y Abinader se condecoran mutuamente y sus gobiernos firman 6 documentos". Listín Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ^ 이재열 (2021-08-25). "Intercambio de medallas entre Corea del Sur y Colombia". Agencia de Noticias Yonhap (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ^ "Santos le entregó la Cruz de Boyacá al vicepresidente Joe Biden". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ^ "La Orden de Boyacá. La máxima distinción de la República de Colombia". Gabinete de Protocolo (in Spanish). 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2022-08-06.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Tiburcio, Núria (April 24, 2017). "Letizia, la condecorada: las 17 distinciones que le han otorgado a la Reina". vanitatis.elconfidencial.com. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ "Presidente Santos hará visitas de Estado en Chile y Argentina". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ^ "Santos condecoró con la Orden de Boyacá al ex Primer Ministro británico Tony Blair". elheraldo.co. April 27, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ "Titles and Orders of HM Queen Elizabeth II". Archived from the original on 2009-12-01. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "DECRETO 584 DE 1992 por medio del cual se confiere una condecoración de la Orden de Boyacá". Diario Oficial De Colombia (40412). 6 April 1992.
- ^ "DECRETO 305 DE 1992 por medio del cual se confiere una condecoración de la Orden de Boyacá". Diario Oficial De Colombia (40343). 19 February 1992.
- ^ kunniamerkki; Kolumbian Boyaga ritarikunnan suurristi rintatähden kera (in Finnish). Coin Chamber, The National Museum of Finland. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "Decreto por el que se concede permiso al ciudadano Licenciado José López Portillo, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, para aceptar y usar la Condecoración de la Orden de Boyacá, en grado de Gran Cruz Extraordinaria que le confiere el Gobierno de Colombia". gob.mx (in Spanish). 8 June 1979. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ 1976 REYES DE ESPAÑA EN BOGOTA. FilmotecaEspañola. January 1, 1976. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ "Los Reyes de España viajan hoy a Colombia". elpais.com. October 9, 1976. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Řády a vyznamenání prezidentů republiky" (in Czech). vyznamenani.net. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ "El Salvador President Honored". The New York Times. 12 October 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ "El Liberal (Madrid. 1879). 20/6/1925".
- ^ a b "NOTICIAS DE PALACIO". 20 May 1925.
External links
[edit]- Decorations, Cancilleria Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.
- World Awards
Order of Boyacá
View on GrokipediaHistorical Background
Origins Tied to the Battle of Boyacá
The Battle of Boyacá, fought on August 7, 1819, near the Boyacá River bridge in present-day Colombia, represented a pivotal victory for independence forces led by Simón Bolívar against Spanish royalist troops under José María Barreiro. Bolívar's army of approximately 2,850 patriots, comprising Venezuelan llaneros, New Granadan guerrillas, and British legionaries, outmaneuvered and decisively defeated a larger Spanish force of about 2,670 men, capturing Barreiro and most of his officers. This engagement, part of the broader Campaña Libertadora, shattered Spanish control over New Granada (modern Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama), enabling Bolívar's advance to Bogotá nine days later and paving the way for the formation of Gran Colombia.[9][10] In direct response to this triumph, Bolívar issued a decree on August 8, 1819, from Ventaquemada, establishing the Military Order of Boyacá as the first formal decoration in the nascent republic. The decree provisionally honored all battalions, squadrons, and individuals who contributed to the Boyacá victory, designating them as members until a general congress could formalize permanent distinctions. This act served to recognize military valor in the independence struggle, exalt the heroism displayed, and foster unity among the victors, with the order's name explicitly invoking the battle site to symbolize liberation from Spanish dominion.[11] The inaugural conferral of the order occurred on September 18, 1819, in Bogotá's Plaza Mayor during public celebrations of the Boyacá victory, marking an early institutional effort to commemorate collective sacrifice in the wars of independence. This foundational decree laid the groundwork for subsequent merit-based honors in Colombia, linking the order indelibly to the strategic brilliance and human cost of Boyacá, where patriot casualties numbered around 13 dead and 53 wounded against over 1,600 Spanish losses including prisoners.[12]Establishment of the Order
The Order of Boyacá originated from the Cruz de Boyacá, a distinction established by Simón Bolívar on August 7, 1819, immediately following the decisive victory at the Battle of Boyacá, which secured Colombia's independence from Spanish rule. This initial cross was awarded exclusively to the generals and key military leaders of the liberating campaign, recognizing their direct contributions to the rout of royalist forces under José María Barreiro. Bolívar's intent was to honor exceptional valor and strategic leadership in the fight for sovereignty, with the first recipients including figures such as Francisco de Paula Santander and José Antonio Anzoátegui.[13] The formal establishment of the Order as a structured national honor occurred on August 7, 1922, via Decree 513, issued by the Colombian government to revive and expand the original distinction amid post-independence commemorations. This decree extended eligibility beyond historical military heroes to include active Colombian military personnel, civilians of merit, and diplomats from allied nations, thereby transforming the singular Cruz de Boyacá into a multifaceted order for recognizing outstanding service to the state. It divided the award into three initial categories—Cruz de Boyacá Extraordinaria in gold for heads of state and equivalents, Cruz de Boyacá in gold for high officials, and a silver variant for lesser distinctions—aimed at promoting loyalty, diplomatic ties, and civil contributions. The timing aligned precisely with the battle's anniversary, emphasizing continuity with the independence legacy while adapting to modern republican needs.[14][3] Subsequent refinements, such as those in Decree 1204 of 1932 approving statutes and further expansions in 1930 formalizing it as a civil and military order, built upon this 1922 foundation but did not alter its core establishment. The decree's provisions ensured the order's prestige by limiting conferrals to verified exceptional acts, with oversight by the Ministry of War (predecessor to modern defense entities), reflecting Colombia's emphasis on merit-based recognition over partisan favoritism.[15][16]Legal and Institutional Framework
Founding Legislation and Decrees
The Cruz de Boyacá, precursor to the Order, was instituted by Simón Bolívar immediately after the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819, as a distinction awarded to the generals and principal officers who contributed to the patriot victory in the independence campaign, with initial exemplars struck in gold and silver for distribution among 32 recipients.[17] Decreto 513 de abril 17 de 1922 extended eligibility for the Cruz de Boyacá to Colombian military personnel beyond the original battle participants and to diplomats and military officers from allied nations, while classifying it into three categories: Cruz de Boyacá Extraordinaria (in gold for heads of state, ministers, and high dignitaries), Cruz de Boyacá (for generals and equivalent civilians), and Cruz de Boyacá Militar (for other officers).[14][18] The formal establishment of the Orden de Boyacá as a structured civil and military honor occurred through Decreto 1247 de agosto 6 de 1930, which converted the preexisting Cruz de Boyacá into the Orden de Boyacá, regulated its conferral procedures, and defined initial grades including Gran Cruz and Cruz, thereby institutionalizing it as Colombia's highest national decoration for exceptional services to the Republic.[19] This decree emphasized awards for merits in defense of independence, loyalty to institutions, and contributions to public administration, extending applicability to both civilians and military personnel of Colombia and friendly foreign states.[19] Subsequent foundational regulation came via Decreto 1204 de 1932, which ratified the statutes drafted and adopted by the Orden's Gran Consejo in sessions of 1931–1932, outlining governance by a council under presidential patronage, detailed insignia protocols, and five grades (Gran Cruz, Gran Oficial, Oficial, Caballero, and Cruz de Plata) to standardize hierarchy and ceremonies.[15] These early decrees laid the legal basis for the Order's operation until later comprehensive reforms, prioritizing empirical recognition of verifiable patriotic and administrative achievements over ceremonial inflation.Reforms and Modifications
Decree 1247 of August 6, 1930, converted the preexisting Cruz de Boyacá into a full civil and military order, expanding its scope beyond initial military recognition to include civilians for distinguished service to Colombia.[19] This reform regulated the order's statutes and facilitated broader conferral, including to foreign diplomats and officials from allied nations.[19] Decree 1204 of 1932 approved the statutes drafted by the order's Grand Council, formalizing five hierarchical grades applicable to both civil and military recipients: Gran Cruz, Gran Oficial, Comendador, Oficial, and Caballero.[15] These grades reflected varying levels of merit, with Gran Cruz reserved for exceptional contributions warranting the highest distinction.[15] Decree 94 of 1935 further modified these statutes, refining procedural aspects such as nomination reviews and insignia specifications to enhance administrative efficiency. The most comprehensive overhaul occurred via Decree 2396 of August 16, 1954, which codified prior regulations and reformed the statutes into a unified framework governing eligibility, conferral processes, and grade equivalencies.[5] This decree emphasized merit-based awards for services in fields like diplomacy, science, arts, and national defense, while prohibiting posthumous grants except in extraordinary cases approved by the Grand Council.[5] Subsequent adjustments included Decree 2919 of 1980, which added provisions to Article 16 of the 1954 decree, clarifying insignia design variations for military versus civilian recipients.[20] Further modifications came through Decree 3270 of 1980 and Decree 1500 of 2001, updating conferral criteria to align with contemporary diplomatic and institutional needs, such as expanded recognition for international cooperation.[16] These changes preserved the order's core purpose while adapting to evolving state practices, ensuring its continued relevance as Colombia's premier peacetime honor.[16]Design, Symbolism, and Grades
Insignia and Emblem Description
The insignia of the Order of Boyacá features a Maltese cross enameled in blue with a gold border, symbolizing the heroic efforts in the Colombian independence campaign. The central element is a gold medallion on the obverse displaying the effigy of Simón Bolívar, encircled by the inscription "Orden de Boyacá," which honors the order's namesake battle and founding purpose. The reverse of the medallion includes the inscription "República de Colombia" on a blue enameled field, reflecting the national sovereignty established post-independence.[5] Dimensions and materials vary by degree to denote hierarchy: the Knight (Caballero) class uses a 44-millimeter cross suspended from a 38-millimeter blue ribbon edged in the Colombian flag colors (yellow, blue, red), while higher degrees like Commander (Comendador) employ a larger 55-millimeter cross worn on a neck ribbon. Grand Officer and above incorporate an 81-millimeter breast star or plaque, crafted in silver or gold, with the cross affixed centrally; the Grand Cross features a 102-millimeter sash from shoulder to hip. The Grand Master Cross includes a distinctive 70-millimeter gold laurel crown adorned with 36 emeralds and the national coat of arms, suspended from an 8-millimeter gold chain, with the reverse noting "República de Colombia, Septiembre 18 de 1819" to commemorate independence declarations.[5] These elements collectively evoke military valor and patriotic service, with the blue enamel representing loyalty and the gold accents signifying distinction, as codified in the regulating decree. Lower classes substitute silver for gold to differentiate prestige levels without altering the core emblematic design.[5]Hierarchy of Grades and Classes
The Order of Boyacá is divided into civil and military classes, with the military variant featuring crossed swords incorporated into the badge design to denote martial service. These classes maintain an identical hierarchy of eight grades, ranging from the most prestigious to the entry level, as established by Decreto 2396 de 1954.[21] The Gran Collar, the apex grade, is reserved exclusively for heads of state and conferred upon the President of Colombia upon assuming office.[16] The grades, in descending order of precedence, are:- Gran Collar (Grand Collar)
- Gran Cruz Extraordinaria (Extraordinary Grand Cross)
- Gran Cruz (Grand Cross)
- Gran Oficial (Grand Officer)
- Cruz de Plata (Silver Cross)
- Comendador (Commander)
- Oficial (Officer)
- Caballero (Knight)