Pablo Morillo and his veteran troops besieged and starved into submission the city of Cartagena de Indias between 26 August and 6 December 1815.

[7][8] But in 1819, Simón Bolívar launched his campaign to liberate New Granada and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Royalists at the Battle of Boyacá.

After the victory of Boyacá, the army of Bolívar advanced along the Magdalena River from Santafé de Bogotá towards the Colombian Caribbean, seizing several strongholds until only Cartagena was left in Royalist hands, with a solidly entrenched garrison.

On 24 June 1821 at night, Padilla assaulted the Royalist in Ánimas Bay, near the current Los Pegasos dock, capturing 11 enemy ships and their weapons.

Torres y Velasco was forced to capitulate to General Montilla on 10 October, bringing the last Royalist fortress in the Colombian Caribbean definitively under Patriot control.