José María Ramón Obando del Campo (August 8, 1795 – April 29, 1861) was a Neogranadine General and politician who twice served as President of Colombia.

[4][7] In 1826 he was appointed Civil and Military leader of Pasto by General Francisco de Paula Santander and was promoted to colonel by Simón Bolívar.

Simón Bolívar dismissed the Convention of Ocaña declared himself Dictator of the New Granada on August 27, 1828, and drafted a new constitution [clarification needed].

[9] Bolívar's actions had angered more than just Obando, the level of opposition was such that he resigned in 1830 after surviving an assassination attempt by his political enemies in the north.

The political vacuum and struggle for power left by his resignation led to a coup d'état against the acting President Domingo Caycedo on September 5, 1830, by Venezuelan General Rafael Urdaneta.

[10][11] The makeshift military alliance commanded by Obando and Lopéz strike on February 10, 1831, at the Battle of El Papayal in Palmira delivering a devastating blow to the dictatorship forces.

While the Constituent Assembly was drafting the constitution a conflict was developing in the south, the Congress of Ecuador had issued a Decree annexing the province of Cauca to their territory and sent in President Juan José Flores to enforce it.

Santander had picked Obando for his strong military background over the popular civilian candidates like José Ignacio de Márquez, his vice president, and Vicente Azuero.

The conflict began when Congress passed a law to suppress small convents and monasteries and re-appropriate the land in Pasto, the law was not intended to punish the Church as the places in question were indeed small and sparingly occupied by mostly Ecuadorian clergy, but the deeply Roman Catholic province went up in arms at the involvement of the government in their religious affairs, even after the Bishop of Popayán had approved of the measure.

[20] Obando who had returned to private life in his hacienda of Las Piedras near Pasto was divided on the issue as he was not pro-clergy but was torn on supporting his people.

Once in his political and military stronghold, Obando entered in open rebellion declaring himself "Supreme Director of the War in Pasto, General in Chief of the Restoring Army, and Protector of the Religion of Christ Crucified", and calling for a revert to Federalism a popular and regionalist cause that was quickly picked up by supporters of Santander nationwide.

Obando returned to New Granada on March 13 of that same year and asked Mosquera to open a trial for him to be judged for his alleged involvement in the death of Sucre.

[21] Mosquera refused and the matter was passed to Congress where a proposed decree was introduced that allowed individuals to give up their immunity to stand trial.

[24] Obando, a fervent Catholic whose political support stemmed from a region that had erupted in civil war just a few years back from closing a few convents, was not happy to sign the new document.

The Draconians, who had postulated Obando for president also wanted him to veto the constitution as they disagreed with its radical liberal nature which had been a product of the Golgothas.

President Obando persuaded by those close to him sided with the ruanas, a move that destroyed his support in the capital among the elite and created animosity within his own party.

General Melo arrived at his door and informed President Obando that he would mount a coup and invited him to suspend government and establish a provisional dictatorship to resolve the problems of the country.

President Obando declined him, and said he refused to take any power than that which was legitimately given to him by the people, and willingly and quietly accepted his fate to go down rather than to betray his convictions, thus a successful bloodless coup d'état had been launched by Melo.