Las fuerzas mercenarias en las Luchas de Independencia del Siglo XIX

This article explores the mercenary character of the foreing troops that participated in the process of political independence in new Granda and Venezuela in the first half of the nineteenth century. Mercenary troops were employed because of limitations placed on the participation of Native americans as part of creole Military policy. This situation produces difficulties in foreign trade which had financial, military and political consequences for mercenary conscription. Finally, the article shows how, at the conclusion of the armed struggle, there was an attempt to control the foreign, mercenary presence which, in some cases, developed into a "neocolonial venguard" to directly influence the republican political activity, representing a threat to creole political control.