{"id":78909,"date":"2014-12-01T22:14:00","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T20:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogsaverroes.juntadeandalucia.es\/geohistoria\/?guid=0801a4d10b367d5e465ef518b03abb58"},"modified":"2018-11-14T17:50:20","modified_gmt":"2018-11-14T16:50:20","slug":"blas-de-lezo-la-guerra-de-la-oreja-de-jenkins-y-el-sitio-de-cartagena-de-indias-la-revancha-de-la-armada-invencible-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogsaverroes.juntadeandalucia.es\/geohistoria\/2014\/12\/01\/blas-de-lezo-la-guerra-de-la-oreja-de-jenkins-y-el-sitio-de-cartagena-de-indias-la-revancha-de-la-armada-invencible-3\/","title":{"rendered":"BLAS DE LEZO, LA GUERRA DE LA OREJA DE JENKINS Y EL SITIO DE CARTAGENA DE INDIAS: LA REVANCHA DE LA ARMADA INVENCIBLE"},"content":{"rendered":"
Un episodio muy similar al de la derrota de la Armada Invencible de Felipe II en 1588 pero pr\u00e1<\/span>cticamente desconocido, fue el de la GUERRA DE LA OREJA DE JENKINS en<\/span> 1741<\/b> (seg\u00fan la historiograf\u00eda inglesa)<\/span>. En este caso cambian las tornas y una flota inglesa m\u00e1s numerosa incluso que la Invencible fue derrotada por un pu\u00f1ado de  irreductibles espa\u00f1oles.<\/span><\/div>\n
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La impo<\/b>sibilidad <\/b>de<\/b> s<\/b>eguir con el contrabando organizado, ante la persecuci\u00f3n desatada contra el mismo por los guardacostas y co<\/b>rsarios espa\u00f1oles<\/b>, decidi\u00f3 a Londres por la opci\u00f3n de la guerra<\/b>. El capit\u00e1<\/span>n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> pirata ingl\u00e9s Robert Jenkins, fue apresado <\/span>en 1731 por el capit\u00e1<\/span>n espa\u00f1ol Julio Le\u00f3n Fandi\u00f1o.<\/span><\/span><\/span> S<\/span>eg\u00fan el testimonio de Jenkins, que compareci\u00f3 en la C\u00e1mara de los Comunes en 1738, Fandi\u00f1o apres\u00f3 su<\/span> nave, lo someti\u00f3 a terribles martirios y le cort\u00f3 una oreja <\/span>al tiempo que le dec\u00eda: \u00abVe y dile a tu rey que lo mismo le har\u00e9 si a lo mismo se atreve<\/i>\u00bb.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Conmocionado, el Parlamento estim\u00f3 que aquello era la gota que colmaba el vaso de la paciencia inglesa, pues se sumaba a otros muchos factores, como la negativa espa\u00f1ola a pagar 95.000 libras por los mercantes que hab\u00edan capturado a su graciosa majestad y a la falta de colaboraci\u00f3n espa\u00f1ola al no escoltar al nav\u00edo de permiso. Los espa\u00f1oles interpretaron esta guerra como una forma de eludir el pago de los derechos que la South Sea Company deb\u00eda a la Corona espa\u00f1ola por el asiento de esclavos y el deseo de prolongar los privilegios obtenidos en el Tratado de Utrecht.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Las dos naciones hicieron preparativos militares: ofensivos, los ingleses, y de<\/b>fensivos los espa\u00f1oles. Los primeros consist<\/b>\u00edan en cortar las comunica<\/b>ciones mar\u00edtimas de la pen<\/b>\u00ednsula con <\/b>sus colonias, destruir el potencial defensivo espa\u00f1ol que p<\/b>roteg\u00eda<\/b> el comercio del <\/b>Caribe y, <\/b>finalmente ocupar la zona del istmo para establecer un dominio ingl\u00e9s que permitiera el comercio libre interoce\u00e1nico<\/b>. Lo primero se intent\u00f3 colocando una flota de guerra frente a las costas gallegas, que fracas\u00f3 en su objetivo. Lo segundo se confi\u00f3 al almirante Vernon, quien deb\u00eda destruir las fortificaciones de Portobelo, Cartagena y el r\u00edo Chagres. Lo tercero se llevar\u00eda a cabo posteriormente mediante una operaci\u00f3n combinada: el almirante Anson (que part\u00eda de inmediato con una flotilla hacia el cabo de Hornos para remontar luego Sudam\u00e9rica) atacar\u00eda la costa pac\u00edfica paname\u00f1a, mientras que Vernon lo har\u00eda simult\u00e1neamente a la costa atl\u00e1ntica. Tras destruir la resistencia espa\u00f1ola en Panam\u00e1 se ocupar\u00eda la zona.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Los planes defensivos espa\u00f1oles consistieron en crear un virreinato en el norte de Sudam\u00e9rica y organizar tres C<\/span>omandancias Generales<\/span><\/span> <\/b>en Cara<\/b>cas, Cartagena y Panam\u00e1 para salvaguardar el C<\/b>aribe<\/b>. La de Caracas comprender\u00eda las Gobernaciones de Venezuela, Maracaibo, Cuman\u00e1 y r\u00edo Orinoco (Guayana), Trinidad y Margarita. La de Cartagena, los territorios de su gobernaci\u00f3n, de la de Santa Marta y de Riohacha. La de Panam\u00e1 comprender\u00eda los de Panam\u00e1, Portobelo, Dari\u00e9n, Veraguas y Guayaquil.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>

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Estatua de Blas de Lezo en la plaza de Col\u00f3n (Madrid, 2014)<\/span><\/div>\n

Los acontecimientos se precipitaron en agosto de 1739. La flota de Vernon se prepar\u00f3 para el ataque y la de Anson parti\u00f3 para el Pac\u00edfico el d\u00eda 10. El 20 la Corona espa\u00f1ola mand\u00f3 crear el virreinato de Santa Fe. En noviembre, Inglaterra declar\u00f3 oficialmente la guerra a Espa\u00f1a, y Vernon atac\u00f3, tom\u00f3 y destruy\u00f3 Portobelo. La llave de las flotas dej\u00f3 de existir y los buques espa\u00f1oles que hab\u00edan subido hasta Panam\u00e1 para realizar el comercio habitual retrocedieron hasta Guayaquil y tuvieron que intercambiar las mercancias con Cartagena a trav\u00e9s de la ruta Quito-Pasto-Santa Fe-r\u00edo Magdalena.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

En 1740, Vernon volvi\u00f3 a Panam\u00e1 y penetr\u00f3 por el r\u00edo Chagres para destruir el fuerte de San Lorenzo. Luego se hizo un tanteo de fuerzas contra Carta<\/span>gena que demostr\u00f3 la fortaleza de la plaza (ya estaba integrado el virreinato y su primer virrey, don Sebasti\u00e1n Eslava, estaba al frente<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> de la ciudad). <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
Al fin, en 1741 Vernon atac\u00f3 Cartagena con un dispositivo militar espectacular<\/span> y<\/span> sin precedentes. La fuerza expedicionaria inglesa estaba compuesta por 51 buques de guerra y 135 barcos para el<\/span> transportes de tropas y suministros, con m\u00e1s de 2.000 ca\u00f1ones. A bordo trasladaba<\/span> un ej\u00e9rcito de invasi\u00f3n de<\/span><\/span> 30.000 hombres.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Las fuerzas espa\u00f1olas eran claramente inferiores: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>una guarnici\u00f3n <\/span>compuesta por unos 3.500 hombres y 6 nav\u00edos de l\u00ednea, bajo el mando del marino espa\u00f1ol don Blas de Lezo, gracias a cuyas cualidades Cartagena resisti\u00f3 y los ingleses tuvieron que retirarse al cabo de dos meses, totalmente derrotados con casi 18.000 muertos. Esto signific\u00f3 el fracaso total del ambicioso plan ingl\u00e9s para desmantelar las fortificaciones espa\u00f1olas en el Caribe.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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 Fue<\/span>te: http:\/\/filostamp.wordpress.com\/category\/forjadores-de-america\/<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n

En 1742 se lanz\u00f3 la operaci\u00f3n final. Vernon tom\u00f3 f\u00e1cilmente Portobelo el 25 de abril y trat\u00f3 de atravesar el istmo con direcci\u00f3n a Panam\u00e1, pero encontr\u00f3 mucha resistencia espa\u00f1ola. Supo adem\u00e1s que Anson no hab\u00eda conseguido llegar a la costa pac\u00edfica paname\u00f1a puesto que hab\u00eda quedado<\/span> desarbolado al pasar el cabo de Hornos y perdi\u00f3 luego tres meses en reparar las dos \u00fanicas naves que le quedaron en las islas de Juan Fern\u00e1ndez. Adem\u00e1s los espa\u00f1oles enviaron contra \u00e9l fuerzas desde Cartagena y Lima, por lo que Vernon desisti\u00f3 de la empresa y se reembarc\u00f3 para Jamaica el 11 de Junio. La guerra no tuvo otras consecuencias que la destrucci\u00f3n de Portobelo, pero eso bast\u00f3 para desarticular el anticuado sistema de flotas.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

El virreinato de Nueva Granada, organizado<\/span> en 1740 por Sebasti\u00e1n de Eslava, integraba en su frente atl\u00e1ntico las costas desde Chiriqu\u00ed hasta la Guayana, mientras que en el P<\/span>ac\u00edfico iba desde el golfo Dulce hasta Guayaquil. Se respetaron las A<\/span>udiencias existentes (Santa Fe, Quito y Panam\u00e1) y finalmente se formaron las tres Comandancias Generales. La Real Hacienda se centraliz\u00f3 en Bogot\u00e1, como anteriormente, pero a Caracas se le permiti\u00f3 hacer remisiones directas a Espa\u00f1a, si bien enviando duplicados de las cuentas al Tribunal de Santa Fe.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A pesar de que la actividad b\u00e9lica concluy\u00f3 en 1742, los ingleses no desistieron de su proyecto de dominar la zona del istmo de Panam\u00e1 para realizar su contrabando. Protegieron a sus<\/span> comerciantes ilegales y establecieron una plaza fuerte en la ciudad espa\u00f1ola de Nat\u00e1, sobornando a los funcionarios locales. As\u00ed consiguieron traficar entre los dos oc\u00e9anos. Naci\u00f3 una verdadera mafia de contrabandistas, con almacenes, embarcaciones y m\u00e1s de 500 empleados y numerosos esclavos. En 1745 hab\u00edan logrado establecer una verdadera \u00abrep\u00fablica independiente\u00bb mediante la compra y soborno de funcionarios y el terror sobre la poblaci\u00f3n. Para proteger su inversi\u00f3n, los ingleses enviaron una expedici\u00f3n militar desde Jamaica al mando del capit\u00e1n Samuel Graws, que incluso levant\u00f3 un fuerte ingl\u00e9s en territorio espa\u00f1ol, lo que llev\u00f3 a que los mafiosos de Nat\u00e1 izaran la bandera inglesa y se pusieran bajo la protecci\u00f3n de \u00absu graciosa majestad\u00bb.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Entonces, el comandante general de Panam\u00e1 entendi\u00f3 que las cosas hab\u00edan llegado demasiado lejos y decidi\u00f3 actuar. Organiz\u00f3 fuerzas en distintos lugares y las hizo converger hacia Nat\u00e1, encerrando a los contrabandistas en una aut\u00e9ntica bolsa que lograron romper para escapar. Per\u00f3 destruy\u00f3 su flotilla y sus almacenes y finalmente fue capturando, uno por uno, a los cabecillas, que fueron ajusticiados a continuaci\u00f3n. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


<\/span><\/span> Bibliograf\u00eda:<\/span><\/span>
Navarro, L. (coord.) (1991). Historia de las Am\u00e9ricas. Tomo III<\/i>. Madrid: Editorial Alhambra Longman.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Para saber m\u00e1s<\/b>:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n