Rafael Urdaneta Rafael José Urdaneta y Faría ( 1788 – 1845 ) was a Venezuelan General and hero of the Spanish American wars of independence in several countries in northern South America . Biographic data . Urdaneta was born in the province of Maracaibo in Venezuela to an elite family of Spanish descent on October 24 , 1788 . He died in Paris , France , on August 23 , 1845 , while performing his diplomatic duties for Colombia , due to complications from kidney stones . Urdaneta , was often referred to as " " el Brillante " " ( " The Brilliant " ) in Venezuelan historiography . . Early life . Urdaneta began his elementary education in Maracaibo and then his high school education in Caracas . Later he traveled to Santa Fe de Bogotá to continue with his college education . Prior to the independence war he was a student of Latin and philosophy , and a pay officer for the viceregal troops in Bogotá , New Granada . Military career . Right after the events of July 10 , 1810 , " “ el Grito de Independencia ” , " Urdaneta decides to join the revolutionary army . He is enlisted as lieutenant of the battalion " “ Patriotas de Cundinamarca ” " . After the establishment of a Junta in Caracas , Urdaneta joined the army in the fight against royalist . After years of service to the patriotic cause , he became one of Simón Bolívar ' s closest collaborators and was promoted to General of the republican army in 1821 . Political career . Urdaneta served as Secretary of the Military and as Minister of War . He was also elected as senator on numerous occasions to the Congress of the Gran Colombia ( a union which included today ' s Venezuela , Colombia and Ecuador ) . The Presidency . President Simón Bolivar was feeling very sick and had resigned , irrevocably , the presidency . On August 2 , 1830 , Domingo Caycedo , as vice - president , had taken control of the presidency . At the time , the Venezuelan battalion " “ el Callao ” " , loyal to General Bolívar , was stationed in Bogotá . Another battalion , loyal to General Santander , and also stationed in the same city , persuade Caycedo to relocate " “ el Callao ” " to the city of Tunja . This action provoked an upraise in the civilian population from Venezuela , who lived in Bogotá , and triggered a confrontation between both battalions . The " “ el Callao ” " battalion defeated the Colombian battalion and president Joaquín Mosquera and vice - president Domingo Caycedo abandoned the capital . General Urdaneta took control of the presidency on September 5 , 1830 , to save the country from civil war and dissolution , and hoping to bring General Bolívar back as president . As the country teetered on the brink of civil war , Bolívar had resigned in May and embarked on a journey to exile in Europe . Bolívar would never set sail , and instead , died in Santa Marta of tuberculosis on December 17 , 1830 . In an effort to restore peace and order in the country , Genera Urdaneta ordered Congress to convene on June 15 , 1831 , in the city of Villa de Leiva . The Colombian Generals expressed their displeasure against General Urdaneta , and military actions erupted throughout the country . Generals Obando and López took control of the southern states and General Salvador Cordova of the northern states . On April 14 , 1831 , the advancing armies proclaimed Domingo Caycedo as legitimate president , and requested General Urdaneta to enter into peace negotiations . General Urdaneta accepted , and met with the Colombian Generals in the town of Juntas de Apulo . On April 28 , both parties signed the Treaty of Apulo , by which peace was secured and General Urdaneta relinquished power . Urdaneta resigned before the " “ Consejo de Estado ” " and General Domingo Caycedo was reinstated as president .