In February 1875, Provisional Governor Pedro Varela expulsed a group opposed to his administration. After a brief stay in the United States, most of the group set up in Buenos Aires, where they began to prepare an armed uprising to defeat what they considered to be an illegitimate government in Uruguay. Although the leaders of the group were linked to the Nacional Party, they decided to use the 33 Orientales flag as their emblem to show that the resistance against Varela’s government was above any party affiliation.

The conflict that would occur a few months later would be known as the “Tricolor Revolution.” Despite the good intentions, old party allegiances were present and caused internal fights. Even with this disorganization, the first armed battle between revolutionary troops and the Uruguayan army took place at Perseverano on 7 October.

Victories were few and the defeats were incessant. In the battle of Guayabos, Dionisio Irigoyen ordered troops to cut the throats of more than 400 prisoners and wounded. Later, in the battle of Carreta Quemada, former Nacional leader Timoteo Aparicio, under the orders of Varela, fought and defeated many of his former allies and hastened the total defeat of the revolutionary forces.