Símon Bólivar / South American Liberator (1783-1830)

Símon Bólivar, the Liberator, organized and led military forces to free the northern sector of South America from Spanish rule in the early 19th century. His direct military actions resulted in the independence of Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Bólivar recruited and motivated a small groups of men to creatively defeat the Spanish occupiers on multiple occassions using surprise attack strategies and strategic battlefield decisions.

Born on July 24th in the year1783, to affluent Creole parents in Caracas, Venezuela, Bólivar lived a privileged childhood. His parents died while he was still very young and under guardianship he completed his informal schooling from some of the finest private tutors in Caracas, Venezuela. He completed his formal education in Spain and at the age of nineteen Bólivar married a woman of Spanish nobility before returning home. Sadly, Bólivars wife died from yellow fever within the first year after arriving to Caracas.

Sad and brokenhearted, he returned to Europe and traveled extensively visiting such countries as France, Italy and Holland. It was during this time period that he began to study the philosophies of Rousseau, Locke and Voltaire. Fascinated with the accomplishments of Napoleon I, he spent a short time in the United States of America just after independence from British rule. Upon arrival back to Venezuela, Bólivar set in motion the actions to free Venezuela from Spanish rule. The leader Liberator was born.

In 1810, Bólivar joined Francisco de Miranda in a revolt against the Spanish and quickly regained control of Caracas. Desperately needing capital to continue funding the revolution, Bólivar returned to Europe for aid. On July 5, 1811, Venezuela declared their independence from Spain. This was only short lived as Spain successfully regained their control by subsequently defeating Miranda. Bólivar commanded the defenses of Puerto Cabello, a key port city. However, he lost the battle after a subordinate betrayed him.

Bólivar escaped capture and retreated to New Granada (Colombia) to regroup. In the summer of 1813 he led another force into Venezuela and by the end of the year he once again took control of Caracas. The following year he successfully defended his newly established government in several battles before a combined army of Spanish Royalists and local anti-Bólivar forces finally defeated the Liberator.

Once again, Bólivar eluded capture and made his way to New Granada and ultimately Jamaica. In 1815, Bólivar traveled to Haiti and formed a friendship and alliance with the newly formed government who recently won their independence from France. Over the next four years, Bólivar attempted two more invasions and raids into the northern sector of South America. Although the expeditions failed, they sealed Bólivars reputation as the leader of the independence movement for the region.

In 1819, Bólivar reinforced his rebel army with English and Irish mercenary veterans of the Napoleonic wars, paid by funds contributed by Haiti and secured a base at Angostura, New Granada. He then led an army of less than 2500 men across a low plain and seven rain-swollen rivers to traverse the ice-covered Andes Mountains. On August 7, Bólivar surprised the Spanish defenders of Boyaca and three days later liberated Bogotá.

On December 17, 1819, Bólivar proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of Colombia, consisting on New Grenada and Venezuela. He declared himself president of the new territory. It took two more years to free Venezuela from Spanish rule and ended with his victory at the Battle of Carabobo on June 24, 1821.

Bólivar now broadened his vision of liberation to all of South America. With help from his trusted subordinate General Antonio Jose de Sucre, Bólivar freed Ecuador from the Spanish in May 1822. He then turned to the last Spanish stronghold in the northern sectors of South America and marched into Lima in September of 1823. On December 9, 1824, Bólivar and Sucre, with an army of only 7000 men, defeated 10,000 Spanish troops at Ayacucho in a battle mostly fought at close quarters with sword and lance. The last Spanish resistance in northern South America ended the following year. At this time, Peru as well as the new country of Bolivia joined Bólivar liberated nations.

Bólivar was not as successful in the role of government leader as he was in the role of general leading revolutionaries. His insistence upon a single "Grand Colombia" combined with his harsh, autocratic ruling style led to internal strife and resulted in civil wars and subsequent independence movements away from him. In only four years all the countries freed by Bólivar separated themselves from the Liberator. By 1823, Bólivar presided over Colombia only. Due to failing health and compounded by the assassination of Sucre, whom he had groomed as his replacement, Bólivar resigned. Before he could exile himself to Europe, he died of tuberculosis at the age of forty seven on December 17, 1830, at Santa Marta.

Bólivar's accomplishments are remarkable. He liberated most of an entire continent often times with only small troops of men. This area was nearly one half the size of the United States of America. Bólivar has often times been referred to as "the George Washington of South America".