Battle of Guayaquil

Battle of Guayaquil
Part of The Terrible Year, ushering in The Era of Conservatism
Illustration of the battle from Vie Illustrée de García Moreno ("Illustrated Life of García Moreno"), published in France by Charles d'Hallencourt in 1887
Date September 22–24, 1860 Location Guayaquil, Ecuador Result Provisional Government of Quito victory; Reunification of Ecuador; nullification of the Treaty of Mapasingue.
Belligerents
Provisional Government of Quito	Supreme Leadership of Guayas
Commanders and leaders
Gabriel García Moreno Juan José Flores	Guillermo Franco
Strength
4,000 troops[1]	Unknown
Casualties and losses
50 dead and wounded[a]	Unknown; 700 prisoners

The Battle of Guayaquil was the final and pivotal armed confrontation in a struggle for political control of Ecuador. The battle was fought on the outskirts of the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador on September 22–24, 1860, among several factions claiming control of the country in the wake of the abdication of president Francisco Robles, amidst continuous Peruvian military pressure due to the ongoing Ecuadorian–Peruvian territorial dispute. The battle brought an end to a series of skirmishes between the forces of Gabriel García Moreno's Provisional Government, backed by General Juan José Flores, and the government of General Guillermo Franco in Guayas, which was recognized by Peruvian president Ramón Castilla.

After a series of internal problems and diplomatic issues with Peru, Ecuadorian president Francisco Robles resigned from his post on May 1, 1859, leaving control of the country split among a number of Jefaturas Supremas (Supreme Commands). Ecuadorian statesman Gabriel García Moreno created a provisional government seated in Quito, while General Franco declared himself Supreme Chief of Guayas. Peruvian President Castilla, intending to take advantage of the leadership crisis to broker a favorable territorial deal, commanded a Naval force that blockaded the Gulf of Guayaquil. Failing to reach an agreement with García Moreno, Castilla met with Franco and signed the Treaty of Mapasingue, recognizing all disputed territories as belonging to Peru. The expeditionary troops returned to Callao on February 19, 1860, after supplying Franco's army with boots, uniforms, and 3,000 rifles.^[2]

Accusing Franco of treason for signing the treaty with the Peruvians, Gabriel García Moreno, allied with former enemy General Juan José Flores, attacked Franco's forces, setting off a civil war. After several battles, García Moreno's forces were able to force Franco's troops to retreat back to Guayaquil, the site of the final battle. García Moreno won the encounter, bringing an end to the factional war.

The battle was the culmination of a period of instability, known as the terrible year of Ecuadorian history.^[3] With his side prevailing, García Moreno restored peace to the country, and ushered in what would later be looked on as the era of Conservatism, the establishment of authoritarian, if not frankly dictatorial, regime that outlived him by twenty years, until 1895.^[4][5]

The Treaty of Mapasingue was annulled by the Ecuadorian Congress in 1861, and by the Peruvian Congress in 1863, during the presidency of Miguel de San Román.^[6]

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