Prior to the document's publication, Bolívar had been an officer in the Venezuelan army. The First Republic, however, was defeated due to a number of movements that confronted and exploited each other such as the royalists who fought for the old order, the supporters of independence who fought for creole supremacy, and the "pardos", blacks, and slaves who fought for their liberation. The conflict was exacerbated by a number of factors such as the shortage of provisions and the effects of the 1812 Caracas earthquake, among others. Bolivar started acting on his own, leaving La Guaira on a Spanish ship. He briefly stayed in Curaçao before finally arriving in Cartagena. he accepted a commission in the army of the United Provinces of New Granada (Colombia), which later granted him permission to lead a force to free Venezuela, in what became known as the Admirable Campaign.