This paper aims to show that, despite it being a relevant topic, patronage has not been sufficiently studied by Colombian historians. With this objective in mind, it studies the discussions generated by the republican patronage in Colombia in the 19th century in three different scenarios. The first focuses on the period circa 1824, when the Republic inherited the right of patronage the Spanish Crown had held for three centuries. The second discusses the difficulties present in the application of patronage to specific cases. The third refers to discussions of patronage when it had already disappeared and had been replaced by the separation of power, in 1853.