republic · South America
Free Province of Guayaquil
Origins
On 9 October 1820 a group of patriots in Guayaquil, the main port of the Royal Audiencia of Quito, overthrew the Spanish authorities. A cabildo declared the Free Province of Guayaquil, with the poet José Joaquín de Olmedo as head of government.
Rule and society
The province adopted a provisional regulation of government and created an army, the Protective Division of Quito, to free the highlands. Its first campaigns failed, but with troops sent by Bolívar under Antonio José de Sucre, and Peruvian reinforcements, the patriots won at Pichincha in May 1822. Guayaquil's elite was divided over joining Gran Colombia, Peru or staying independent.
Decline and legacy
Bolívar entered Guayaquil in July 1822 and annexed it to Gran Colombia; Olmedo left in protest. Days later Bolívar met San Martín in the Guayaquil Conference. Guayaquil became part of the Republic of Ecuador in 1830.
Lineage
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Free Province of Guayaquil. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-province-of-guayaquil
- MLA
- “Free Province of Guayaquil.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-province-of-guayaquil. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Free Province of Guayaquil.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-province-of-guayaquil.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Free Province of Guayaquil’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-province-of-guayaquil (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻