History

The Order of Boyaca (Orden de Boyacá) was instituted on August 6, 1930. The statutes were approved in 1954, and the Collar was created in 1980. The Grand Master is the President of the Republic.

It is awarded to Colombians and foreign citizens for extraordinary civil and military service to the State in time of war or while maintaining public order. It is awarded as well for fifty years of military service. The Order is the country's highest award.

The Order's grades are Grand Collar, Extraordinary Grand Cross, Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Silver Cross, Commander, Officer, and Knight. The Grand Collar is conferred exclusively upon Heads of State. The Silver Cross is awarded only to nationals and foreign institutions.

The Order was firstly awarded on August 8, 1819, to soldiers who fought on the Battle of Boyaca in 1819, a decisive battle that ensured the success of Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada. However, the Order was ignored for the rest of the 19th century until 1930 when it was re-instituted.