The 1863 constitution of the United States of Colombia was radically liberal, abolishing the death penalty and guaranteeing freedoms of speech and religion. However, its implementation sparked intense conflict. The government's 1870 decree for free, obligatory, and secular primary education was a direct challenge to the Catholic Church's traditional role. This, coupled with policies like the seizure of church lands, ignited the 1876 Civil War. The federal system, which allowed states to raise th