Decree of War to the Death

The Decree of War to the Death (Decreto de Guerra a Muerte) was issued by South American independence leader Simón Bolívar on June 15, 1813, in the Venezuelan city of Trujillo. According to the text of the decree, it authorized the killing of civilians born in Spain who did not actively assist the South American independence movement, while granting a general pardon to Spaniards who joined the independence cause. The decree simultaneously exonerated Americans who had committed atrocities against Spanish civilians, and offered amnesty to Americans who had previously cooperated with Spanish colonial authorities, regardless of that prior collaboration.

The decree presented itself as a response to what it described as severe crimes and massacres committed by Spanish soldiers following the collapse of the First Republic of Venezuela. It alleged that Spanish leaders had stolen property, executed large numbers of Republicans, and violated prior treaties and capitulations, including a reference to the San Mateo Capitulation of 1812. The declaration framed these alleged Spanish atrocities as having contributed decisively to the defeat of the First Republic, and Bolívar characterized the new policy as an act of justice and necessity in response.

The decree distinguished between Peninsular Spaniards who actively supported independence and those who did not, aiming to spare the latter category only if they cooperated with the independence movement going forward. It also sought to redefine the conflict as an international war between Venezuela and Spain rather than a regional rebellion, elevating its status to a recognized struggle for sovereignty.

The policy known as the "Guerra a Muerte" was practiced by both sides during the conflict, and resulted in documented brutalities from both the independence forces and royalist forces. Sourced examples include the execution of Spanish prisoners in Caracas and La Guaira in February 1814, carried out on Bolívar's own orders shortly before the collapse of the Second Republic of Venezuela, and the killing of prominent citizens in New Granada by royalist forces under Pablo Morillo during 1815, 1816, and 1817.

The decree remained formally in effect until November 26, 1820, when Bolívar and Spanish General Pablo Morillo met at Santa Ana de Trujillo and agreed to conduct the ongoing war of independence as a conventional war going forward, effectively ending the sanctioned policy of extermination against civilians on the basis of birthplace.