Insurgents or patriots: Public opinion, freedom of the press and political “opposition” in the press of La Gran Colombia (1821-1823)

This article analyzes the controversy between the political factions of the Santanderistas and Nariñistas around the concepts of public opinion, censorship and freedom of the press, made possible by the creation and dissemination of numerous newspapers between 1821 and 1823. Through the study of the political language and the communication circuits formed by seven printed newspapers, it exposes the issues that caused controversy between these political parties and the way in which the vice president and pro-government sectors tried to impose a ‘unanimist’ perspective of the public opinion, attacking the printed press of the “opposition” until it was forced to close down. In this respect, this article emphasizes the role of the press as the constructor of the public sphere and a catalyst of political pluralism in the Republic of Colombia after the proclamation of the Constitution of Cúcuta