Conservative troops commanded by Marroquín manage to…

Conservative troops commanded by Marroquín manage to reduce Venezuelan aid to Colombia's Liberals on July 29, 1901, during the Battle of San Cristóbal, who at this time are suffering defeats by the Conservative General Juan B. Tovar.

Venezuelan president Cipriano Castro is the driving force of the war in late 1901, eventually pushing its continuation into 1902.

Colombia's Liberals had divided after the Battle of Palonegro into two different factions, this time pacifists and warmongers.

The Nationalists among the Conservatives believe it is time to end the war, which by this time is mainly in the province of Panama and on the coast of the Caribbean Sea.

With this decision, internationalization of the war is avoided, though internationalization is promoted by Castro (who recognizes Uribe Uribe as President of Colombia). 

In September 1901, Castro deploys twelve hundred Venezuelan troops along with cannons, rifles and a machine gun into Colombia, with Venezuelans comprising a large portion of Liberal troops in the border area.

During the Battle of Riohacha, Castro sends a gunboat to block Conservative reinforcements from entering the city's harbor and orders Venezuelan general José Antonio Dávila to manage Venezuelan troops alongside the Liberals.

Errors by Venezuelan forces result in Colombian reinforcements landing near Riohacha and countering the joint Liberal-Venezuelan forces, resulting in a mass retreat and a victory for the Colombian army.

Eventually, General Uribe sees that the Liberals will not be able to defeat the Conservatives, and therefore is inclined to surrender, albeit with certain conditions.