Tocaima

Tocaima is a town and municipality in Cundinamarca, Colombia. Funded in March 20, 1544 by Spanish Hernan Vanegas Carrillo. This small town is known for being a warm vacation site during religious holidays, for many college students from Bogotá and surrounding areas. The town is crossed by the Pati River which sometimes surpasses its water level and floods the town.

History

Before Spanish colonization it was home to the amerindian tribe of the Guacana who belonged to the Panche amerindian Nation. The city name of Tocaima was given in honor to a legendary warrior from this tribe during the ruling period of the Cacica Guacana.

It is believed that Tocaima is the only town from the Cundinamarca Department that presently has a royal title and coat of arms issued by the spanish monarchy in appreciation of its loyalty and its fame of being a powerful and wealthy region. Prove of this is a document issued by carlos Vin February 7, 1549.

In 1581 the city finally ceded to a very heavy flood caused by the Pati River, destrying it. Then President Juan de Borja sent Captain Martin de Ocampo who refounded the city in March 18, 1621 by constructing the Convent of San Jacinto and its contiguous chapel.

Later on, during the declaration of Independence of what is now Colombia from Spain, 1810,Tocaima was represented in the electoral and constitutional college by jurist Miguel de Tobar y Zerrato and Don Juan salvador Rodriguez de Lago. With the Cabildo established again by the same year

The new Constitution of Cundinamarca by 1815 divided the nation into "Cantones", what provoked a confrontation between the Tocaima Canton and the neighboring Canton of La Mesa. In 1816 Spain ordered a reconquering of the colonies that repressed the newly created government.

Afer finally achieving defeating the Spanish reconquering process, in 1819, the liberators declared total independence from Spain and conformed the Republic of Gran Colombia, which government, leaded by General Santander in 1822 re-established the Tocaima Canton.