The exchange of prisoners in the wars of independence of Colombia: vicissitudes and humanitarian projections

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the exchange of prisoners in the wars of Independence of Colombia after the signing of the treaty of regularization of the war between patriots and Spaniards and specifically its application in the provinces of Popayán and Pasto. The gaps in the regulations generated interstices through which uncertainty were raised between the two contending sides. Continuous were the mutual recriminations, in addition to the delays due to the lack of consensus regarding the terms of the exchange. Despite this accumulation of vicissitudes, it can not be denied that some prisoners from both sides saved their lives and many more returned to their ranks.