El contrabando interno de tabaco durante la Independencia y los inicios de la República en la Nueva Granada, 1810 – 1828

Abstract

Within the framework of economic history and judicial history, and based on the consultation of archival documentary sources, the main purpose of this article is to analyze the scope of internal tobacco smuggling during the wars of Independence and the first decade of Republican life in New Granada. For this, the regulatory framework and the actions implemented by the State to combat this practice will be examined in detail. Given the limited resources and the limited logistical capacity of the surveillance structure set up through the guards in the extensive territory of New Granada, the smugglers perfected their methods, and various strategies were used in the effort to evade the actions of control devices and free themselves from all responsibility, even going so far as to opt for bribery and violent reactions. The frequency of this illegal trade reflected an underlying social problem, since several individuals saw the clandestine cultivation and sale of this product as an economic alternative for subsistence during a transition stage in which the ravages of war were evident. There were several inconsistencies in the judicial rulings due to the procedural problems and the gaps in the norm, although the intention was to set penalties that would generate punishment and ensure that the fraudsters corrected their faults.