History of the Ecuadorian–Peruvian territorial dispute nature, but was meant only for ecclesiastical and military jurisdiction. During the first 10 years of independence, Gran Colombia, under the leadership of Simon Bolivar, had continually protested Peru's occupation of Tumbes and Jaen; Maynas had not been militarily occupied yet. Peru ignored Simon Bolivars ultimatum to return Tumbes and Jaen or face war. Bolivar then declared war and Peru responded by successfully invading and occupying southern Ecuador with a force of 8,000 soldiers. Simon Bolivar sent Jose Antonio de Sucre to Ecuador who lead 4,000 Gran Colombian soldiers that defeated the Peruvian invaders in the Battle of Tarqui in
Gran Colombia at Angostura) became a new country, the Republic of New Granada. In 1858, New Granada was replaced by the Granadine Confederation. Later in 1863, the Granadine Confederation changed its name officially to the United States of Colombia, and in 1886, adopted its present-day name: the Republic of Colombia. Panama, which voluntarily became part of Gran Colombia in 1821, remained a department of the Republic of Colombia until 1903, when in great part as a consequence of the Thousand Days War of 1899–1902, it became independent under intense American pressure. The United States wanted territorial rights in the future Panama Canal