 He joined Monteverde's forces when they took over Calabozo in May 1812 and was named commander of Calabozo in January 1813.He participated in the unsuccessful attempts to stop Santiago Mariño's invasion of eastern Venezuela, and after the royalist government collapsed, he was granted temporary permission to act at his own discretion by his superior, Field Marshal Juan Manuel Cajigal.From this point on, he never recognized any superior authority.