Various factions of the army, aristocrats and popular sectors, seeking to implement democratic ideas, allied themselves with the artisans who demanded the reintroduction of protection tariffs.

[1] In the Presidential elections of 1853, José María Obando had presented himself on behalf of the "Draconians", and had defeated Tomás de Herrera, candidate for the "Gólgotas" or Radicals.

[4] With the help of the armed artisans' Democratic Societies, he organized his forces into the so-called "Regeneration Army", calling into service all civilian members of the Auxiliary National Guard and veterans who had fought in the civil war of 1851.

Vice President José de Obaldía assumed command of the Constitutionalist coalition, which was formed with Gólgotas Liberals and troops belonging to the Conservative Party.

[2] Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera's troops dominated the Caribbean region starting from Barranquilla and confronted the governor of the province of Cartagena Juan José Nieto Gil, who supported the Melo government.

Melo remained in power for eight months, but finally the "Constitutionalist" troops of Pedro Alcántara Herrán, Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera, Julio Arboleda and José Hilario López, located in the north and south of the country and totaling 11,000 men, united and surrounded the 7,000 Melistas, who by autumn only held the city of Bogotá.