Although retired, París was once again called back into service to serve as commander of the army during the Colombian Civil War (1860–1862), however by this point he was crippled by his ill health and age, he was defeated and the government was overthrown.

After that París finally retired to his hacienda near Honda where he died at the age of 73 and received full military honors from the Colombian government for his long service to the republic.

Joaquín París y Ricaurte was born on August 18, 1795, in the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, Santa Fe, a territorial entity of the Spanish Empire.

José was from an aristocratic family and was born in Madrid and came to Santa Fe to serve as the secretary of Viceroy of New Granada Messía de la Cerda.

Génova was a criolla who belonged to an important family from Santa Fe but was born in Medellin as her father was governor of that province at the time of her birth.

In 1812, still under the command of Baraya, he was dispatched to the north of the country to fight royalist forces from Venezuela who were threatening the important border city of Cúcuta.

París would see himself fighting in the New Granada Civil War of 1813, and fought at the Battle of San Victorino on January 9, 1813, where he was captured by Antonio Nariño's centralist army when the federalists were defeated in their attempt to take the city.

Bolívar had been given a commission by congress of the United Provinces of New Granada and made a colonel in their army and had just defeated the Royalist Guerrillas in the Magdalena River region.

This army left Santa Fe in June 1813, París fought with distinction at the battles of Alto Palacé (December 30), Calibio (January 15, 1814), Juanambú (April 1814) and Tacines (May 9, 1814).

París also fought at the Battle of the Palo Riveron July 5, 1815 where he was wounded in the important patriot victory that allowed them to recapture Popayán from Spanish forces.

[6] París alongside the other prisoners were transported to Santa Fe and put before a war council presided by Lieutenant General Pablo Morillo commander of all Spanish forces in New Granada and Venezuela.

In November 1816, he was transported by foot along with other prisoners to Maracaibo in Venezuela, during the long and ardous journey he was chained to Simon Burgos and were frequently abused by their guards.

[10] Upon arriving to Casanare he became Santander's right-hand man with the training of these new troops and the two built an excellent working relationship and as a result became close friends.

[11] His proven courage earned him the assignment of very risky reconnaissance missions to gather intelligence on the other side of the Andes mountain range shortly before the start of the campaign.

París died in Honda in 1868 at the age of 73, when the news reached Bogotá, President Santos Gutiérrez issued a decree of honors in his memory for his long and faithful service to the republic.