Naval Battle of Lake Maracaibo

Overview

The Battle of Lake Maracaibo also known as the "Naval Battle of the Lake" was fought on 24 July 1823 on Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo between fleets under the commands of Republican Admiral José Prudencio Padilla and royalist Captain Ángel Laborde.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Naval Battle of Lake Maracaibo, fought on 24 July 1823 between Republican forces under Admiral José Prudencio Padilla and royalist forces under Captain Ángel Laborde, was a late engagement in the Venezuelan War of Independence. Spanish casualties of 437 against Gran Colombian losses of 164 indicate a decisive Republican advantage in the exchange. Coming in the final phase of the independence struggle, control of Lake Maracaibo had strategic bearing on Spanish capacity to sustain royalist positions in Venezuela, and the outcome contributed to the broader collapse of Spanish military power on the continent.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (1)