 After the battle, the war took a 180-degree-turn, and became one of the most brutal conflicts in early 20th century South America.After the victory of Peralonso (December 15, 1899), the Liberals could have finished the war, completing the Conservative defeat by marching unopposed on the capital.General Vargas Santos, commander of a Liberal army, believed it was dishonorable to attack the dispersed government army, and ordered that his troops move to Cúcuta, many kilometers from the site of the battle.