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The Man Known As Simon Bolivar
- By Bobby Castro
- Published 12/27/2011
- Destinations
- Unrated
Bobby Castro
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The Man Known As Simon Bolivar
His full name is Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolivar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter. Born on July 24, 1783 in Caracas, Venezuela, he is acknowledged as one of the most influential individuals who participated in Latin America's struggle for independence against the Spanish Crown.
After gaining independence from Spanish imperial rule, Bolivar participated in the creation of the first union of independent nations in the region. Known as Gran Colombia, it is a republican country where he was President from 1819 to 1830. He was also one of the individuals instrumental in the independence of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. He is also one of the paragons of democratic ideology in Latin America.
He is known as the El Libertador beginning with the famed Admirable Campaign as he entered Merida and then the occupation of Trujillo. Caracas was also retaken from the Spanish and proclaimed the restoration of the Venezuelan republic. He intended to enter Cartagena but was unsuccessful. From there he fled to Jamaica where he was denied support together with an assassination attempt on him. This made him flee to Haiti where he obtained sanctuary and protection.
He died in December 17, 1830 after a bout of tuberculosis at the tender age of forty-seven. On his deathbed, he ordered his aide-de-camp to destroy the archive of his writings, letters and speeches but the order was disobeyed. This proved to be a rich source of Bolivar's thoughts and ideals as well as philosophical and political leanings. He was buried in the Cathedral of Santa Marta but his remains were moved to Caracas where a monument awaited his remains.
Bolivar was a politician way ahead of his time. He helped enact laws designed to protect the environment, wildlife protection and native rights in both Central and South America. He was also instrumental in the freeing of South American slaves and removal of the slave trade forty years before the United States Civil War. He was an ardent supporter of independence for the people and the establishment of democratic states. He was staunchly anti-slavery while he was an admirer of American independence, he believed that this kind of system would not be able to function in Latin America as the region was subjected to what he called the "triple yoke of ignorance, tyranny and vice." He wrote the Bolivian constitution that would soon to be known as Latin conservatism.
After gaining independence from Spanish imperial rule, Bolivar participated in the creation of the first union of independent nations in the region. Known as Gran Colombia, it is a republican country where he was President from 1819 to 1830. He was also one of the individuals instrumental in the independence of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. He is also one of the paragons of democratic ideology in Latin America.
He is known as the El Libertador beginning with the famed Admirable Campaign as he entered Merida and then the occupation of Trujillo. Caracas was also retaken from the Spanish and proclaimed the restoration of the Venezuelan republic. He intended to enter Cartagena but was unsuccessful. From there he fled to Jamaica where he was denied support together with an assassination attempt on him. This made him flee to Haiti where he obtained sanctuary and protection.
He died in December 17, 1830 after a bout of tuberculosis at the tender age of forty-seven. On his deathbed, he ordered his aide-de-camp to destroy the archive of his writings, letters and speeches but the order was disobeyed. This proved to be a rich source of Bolivar's thoughts and ideals as well as philosophical and political leanings. He was buried in the Cathedral of Santa Marta but his remains were moved to Caracas where a monument awaited his remains.
Bolivar was a politician way ahead of his time. He helped enact laws designed to protect the environment, wildlife protection and native rights in both Central and South America. He was also instrumental in the freeing of South American slaves and removal of the slave trade forty years before the United States Civil War. He was an ardent supporter of independence for the people and the establishment of democratic states. He was staunchly anti-slavery while he was an admirer of American independence, he believed that this kind of system would not be able to function in Latin America as the region was subjected to what he called the "triple yoke of ignorance, tyranny and vice." He wrote the Bolivian constitution that would soon to be known as Latin conservatism.