Battle of Matasiete: Patriot victory that sealed the independence of the province of Margarita

Published at: 31/07/2025 09:38 AM

On July 31, 1817, on Matasiete Hill, today the Arismendi municipality of the state of Nueva Esparta, the independence forces under the command of General Francisco Esteban Gómez and the Spanish forces of Pablo Morillo clashed.

That day, 600 military and civilian patriots from Margarita, under the command of Gómez, barricaded themselves on Matasiete Hill and defeated 3,000 soldiers and war veterans who made up the Spanish army, commanded by Morillo.

The Battle of Matasiete would seal Margarita's independence, and no invading army would ever return to threaten her, becoming the first free territory of the Spanish Empire in America.

Mazo News Team