Antonio Nariño Antonio Amador José de Nariño Bernardo del Casal ( Santa Fé de Bogotá , Colombia 1765 - 1824 Villa de Leyva , Colombia ) was an ideological Colombian precursor and one of the early political and military leaders of the independence movement in the New Granada ( present day Colombia . ) Early political activity . Nariño was born to an aristocratic family . He was always seeking knowledge and greatly admired the political ideologies of the leaders of the French and American Revolution s . In his impressive library there was even a portrait of Benjamin Franklin that hung above the mantle . In his youth , Nariño was a strong influence amongst the progressive young people of Bogotá , Colombia . He was the host to many secret political gatherings which purpose was to discuss the need for independence . Nariño was always one of the most out - spoken and articulate participants at these meetings , which gained him much admiration . In 1794 , Nariño procured a copy of the " Declaration of the Rights of Man " which was being distributed by the French Assembly . He translated the Declaration of the Rights of Man from its original French into Spanish and printed several copies from his own private press . He then circulated these translated pamphlets among his politically like - minded friends . Copies of the pamphlet were distributed to all corners of the continent and created a stirring in the political mentalities of the time . The government soon discovered the material and any copy that was found was burned . Nariño was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment in Africa for his leading role in the political group and was exiled from South America . Nariño had previously worked as a tax collector ( " Recaudador de diezmo s " ) and was also accused of fraud resulting from this activity . However , when the ship landed in Spain , Nariño escaped from his captors and later went to France and England , where he continued his work supporting the revolution in South America . He found his way back to New Granada ( Colombia ) where the authorities again caught up with him in Bogotá . This time he was imprisoned and sent to Madrid but somehow managed to escape again and return to Colombia , where he was able to take part in the revolution . He founded the political newspaper La Bagatela in 1811 . That same year he was selected president of the State of Cundinamarca . Recognized as the commander of the centralist republican forces in New Granada , Nariño fought several battles against the federalists organized around the city of Cartagena , Colombia . Southern campaign . In July 1813 , General Nariño began an intensive military campaign against the Spanish and Royalist forces in the south , intending to reach Pasto and eventually Quito . Nariño ' s forces , known as the Army of the South , numbering 1500 to 2000 men , managed to capture Popayán in January 1814 after defeating the Royalist forces in the area in a series of initially successful battles . After stopping to reorganize the city ' s government and his own forces , he pressed on towards Pasto . Historians have speculated that , had he not stopped at Popayán but actually decisively pursued the fleeing Royalist army , he might have been able to successfully capture a relatively undefended Pasto . As things happened , the constant raids of Royalist guerrillas , the harshness of the terrain , the lack of promised reinforcements from Antioquia , and the delays in bringing up his army ' s artillery contributed to weakening the morale of many of the troops under Nariño ' s command , when they had practically reached the gates of Pasto . After being wounded during combat , a false rumor of his death was spread , and most of the remaining soldiers scattered , only some 400 returning to Popayán . Nariño , left practically alone in the battlefield , attempted to hide , but surrendered himself when Royalist scouts found him . He was taken into Pasto in May 1814 , and then sent to the Royal prison at Cádiz via Quito . Later years . Nariño was freed in 1821 after the revolt of Rafael del Riego , and returned to his country ( Colombia ) , now independent from Spain after the republican victory at the Battle of Boyacá . Nariño was one of the candidates for the presidency of Gran Colombia in 1821 , where he lost to Simón Bolívar by the significant margin of 50 to 6 votes in the Congress held at Cúcuta , finishing second . He also lost the election for vicepresident , as Francisco de Paula Santander eventually defeated him by a 38 to 19 vote margin after several heated rounds of voting . In 1824 , Nariño died . Before his death , Nariño became a national hero in his country . He is mentioned in last stanza of Colombian national anthem . At the foot of his statue in Colombia , he is quoted , " I have loved my country ; only History will say what this love has been . " The presidential palace of the Republic of Colombia , Casa de Nariño or Palacio de Nariño is named in his honor and was constructed at the site of Nariño ' s birthplace . 9780520078680