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Great Colombia Federate Republic

1821 Grat Colombian Flag
by Guillermo T. Aveledo 4 November 1999

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Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela retained the tricolour of the Great Colombian Federate Republic when it broke up 1830-32. It was designed by Francisco Miranda and was carried by Simon Bolivar in all his battles to free South America from Spanish rule (he had hoped that the Gran Colombia would be a step towards federating all of South America).
The colours are said to symbolise golden America seperated from bloody Spain by the blue sea.
Paul Adams , 29 November 1995

The Gran Colombia Tricolour was originally the family/personal Flag of Francisco de Miranda. Miranda's flag had as much chance of becoming the flag for the Colombia/Ecuador/Venezuela revolution as Simon Bolivar's flag.
Miranda's was "chosen" because it was already in use by Miranda's militant faction before Bolivar (who at the time was taking a more diplomatic approach to the Spanish rule problem) actively joined the military effort.
This information is not based in any one published document, but on my general education (I grew up in Venezuela). If you wish, I can try to dig up Simon Bolivar's flag (red field with blue border, and - I think - a gold or silver star in the middle -- forgive my bad terminology), and any other historical flags related to this region.
Fabio E. Speciale, 13 March 1997

Concering the República de la Gran Colombia (the federation of Venezuela, Nueva Granada [Colombia] and Quito [Ecuador). I believe the information above about the Great Colombia is not correct. Its design is, indeed, based in Miranda´s tricolori, adopted by the first Vednezuelan Government of 1811 and it was certainly used by Bolivar (with certain modifications) throughout his political carreer. However, the symbolism cited by Fabio Speciale is incomplete and the origin of the Miranda Tricolori itself, mentioned by Mr Speciale is inaccurate. The yellow, blue and red flag was not derived from Miranda's familya colours. Despite the fact that he toyed with the idea of a South Americna Kingdom, General Miranda was not a nobleman: he was not the descendant fo Spanish Officers or a member of the Criollo nobility which ruled. While white, General Miranda was the son of a well-off but not "honourable" craftsman. As a matter of fact, a controversy with the local upper class over his father's origins, led General Miranda to pursue a life abroad, away from the discriminating province of Caracas. In such life, he lived many adventures, joined the American and French Revolutions, was part of Europe´s most important courts and, while gazing at the colours of a Hamburg Granadier's regime, got the idea for the tricolori (red-blue-yellow; depicted somehow in every flag he designed). Also, there is no such thing a Bolivar's Flag. Not what Mr Specially cites, at least. Bolivar designed a flag much similar to that of 1814 (shown in your pages), but adding one blue star to the seven which lied already on the yellow stripe, representing liberated Angostura.
Guillermo T. Aveledo 23 September 1999

The image at the top of the page represents the flag of what is now known as the "Great Colombia" Republic, known then (in 1821), plainly as the República de Colombia. Current-day Colombia was then named "Nueva Granada", and had its own CoA and flag . This flag is not of Colombia (as we know it today) but of the union of the republics of Venezuela, Nueva Granada (Colombia) and Ecuador.
by Guillermo T. Aveledo 4 November 1999

by Jaume Olle' 30 September 1999

This coa seems to be the official one of the Republic of Great Colombia. First apparition is dated 6 October 1821 in Cundinamarca and is in use until 9 May 1834 (same time several variants of the arms exist). These arms were added to the national flag
Jaume Olle' 30 September 1999

Great Colombian CoA
by Guillermo T. Aveledo 4 November 1999