The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-02-13
ANARCHY IN BOLIVAR
Government Tried to Gust De
Castro, Chief of Army
MAyJARES CAPTURED BARRANQUILLA


sure Return of joaquin Velez as
President of CoIOmbIa--De Cas-
trO Was For General Reyes.
COLON, Feb. 13.-Political troubles
in the department Of Bolivar are grow
ing. The steamer Ell Calvados of the
French line has arrived here from Car
tagena and Savanilla and brings news
of a rebellion and practically a state
Of anarchy in the department, which
has lasted for almost two weeks and
which arose from the determination of
the government at Bogota to Dust
Diego de Castro from his position as
commander in chief of the military
forces in Bolivar.
1t was deemed prudent to do this be
cause General de Castro, acting in con
junction with Francisco lnsignares,
civil governor of Bolivar, sent an eX-
petition up the Magdalena river the
latter part of last month to Calamn
for the purpose of stopping certain
government troops who were coming
down the river.
down by the Bogota government for
the purpose of insurng the election of
Joaquin Nelez as president of the re
public and whose chances We're con
sidered slim i'm Bolivar. lnsignareS
and De Castro purposed to meet this
force in the interest of the candi-
dature of General Rafael Reyes When
the two forces met at BnncO mutual
explanations were made. ana Insig.
mares and De Castro were induced to
return without fighting.
General Maniares, who is with the
government. reached BarranQuilla.
where General de Castro is stationed,
about the end of January and inform
ed De Castro that he held papers from
President MarroQuin making him
ManjaresJ commander in chief Of the
military and naval forces of the de.
partmpnt in succession to De Castro.
DE Castro obstinatcly refused to give
| up his post, claiming that he held his
appointment from General Reyes, who
had been designated supreme com
mander Of all Colombia's military
forces. and that he had not been ad.
vised to hand over his command to
! General Maniures.
Upon this refusal General ManjarcS
proceeded to Cartagena, where, with
out communicating with Governor In
/ siguares. he succeeded in inducing
/ General Araugo to turn over to him
| the command of the troops then in
/ Cartagena.
! AS soon as this had been done Man
| jares, with a battalion of the Carta-
gena troops. took train for Calama.
! From Calama he telegraphed to Carta-
| gena to at once send him 800 re-en
! forcements The government at Bogo-
! u also sent down 1000 troops under
General Monsalve to join and support
/ NIanjares As soon as his forces We're
! collected Manjares started 10 march on
.iarranquilla.
In the meantime he Castro had left
| Uarranqunla and started up the river
! alone. He reached Gamarra and from
there got into direct Geographic com
! munication with President Marroquin
on the matter. While De Castro was
up the river Manjures and his com
mand. numbering about 1000 men,
reached Barranquilln Manjares com
municated with the officer whom De
Castro had left in command there, and
this man agreed to turn over the garri-
son of $500 men and the town to Man
iares. Manjares entered Barranquilla
and took possession without firing Il
shot.
1t is rumored that De Castro has
now retired to the province of Santan-
der where he intends To muster forces
march to Barranquilla and recapture
| it,
The result of the presidential election
is not known on the coast, but ID is
said that General Reyes polled a large
majority of the votes in the depart
ment of Bolivar.
Joaquin Velez has 81 votes over RIA
fael Reyes but the returns from five
provinces have not yet been received.
EH-GoVernor Black Chairman.
- - Il