Today his name has become a symbol of South America's struggle against US imperialism. During his lifetime, this hero admired the United States and considered this country an example to follow.
If you look at modern Venezuela, you might get the impression that there is a personality cult of Simon Bolivar. The layman will immediately decide that this historical character rose to the imperious Olympus in the wake of the wars of liberation, and then became a dictator. It's not like that at all. Our hero ended his days as a peaceful pensioner and did not dream of lifelong and posthumous glory.
Childhood
Juan Vincente Bolívar was a Basque by nationality. In his native Spain, this was reprehensible, but in the colonies this aristocrat was able to gain universal respect. In 1783, his wife gave him a son, who was named Simon-Jose-Antonio. The climate of the New World did not suit the older members of the family, they died, leaving their heir in the care of relatives and their old friend the philosopher Simon Rodriguez.
Relatives considered that the boy should visit the homeland of his ancestors, and in 1799 Simon was sent to Madrid. There he received a European education and education in the field of jurisprudence. In order for the teenager to get to know the world better, he was released on a trip to Italy, Germany, England and France. In a state that has recently experienced a revolution, the guy attended the Polytechnic School.
Birth of an idea
On the way home, the young man decided to make a small detour - in 1805 he landed not in Venezuela, but in the United States. The young country, which until recently was a colony of England, impressed him. Bolivar began to develop a plan to overthrow Spanish rule in his homeland. At home, he found many like-minded people among his friends.
The chance to bring ambitious plans to life was presented to young people in 1810. The colonists rebelled against the unjust order - according to the laws of Spain, they had less rights than the inhabitants of the Old World. Madrid was not going to give in to the rebels and was defeated in a number of battles. A year after the start of the rebellion, the government of an independent state was already in session in Caracas. Simon Bolivar was among its members. He turned to diplomacy, hoping to enlist the support of his enemy's eternal rivals - the British. However, all his letters to London remained unanswered.
Defeat
The Spaniards did not succeed in fighting their former colony, relying only on the regular army. A new headquarters was urgently deployed across the ocean. These guys went out to the chiefs of Indian tribes and smugglers and convinced them to start a war against their oppressors. Aborigines and criminals alike happily set to work, clearing the way for the representatives of Madrid.
Our hero escaped to Colombia. There he took up literary work and the revision of his political program. In 1813, after a successful offensive operation of the rebels, he managed to visit his hometown, however, he could not stay there for a long time - Caracas passed from hand to hand. The sad trip only strengthened the opinion of the anti-imperialist - it is necessary to drive the invader by uniting the forces of the entire people, regardless of race and social status.
With new forces
Refining the idea of liberating Latin America from the rule of Madrid, Bolivar found a new ally. It was the famous Alexander Petion, the leader of the Haitian rebels. In 1816, opponents of the Spanish yoke landed in Venezuela and began a victorious march across the continent. Everyone who joined them gained freedom and the right to receive a piece of land after the victory. Former allies of Spain went over to their side en masse. Great Britain did not support the rebels, however, soldiers of fortune went to their aid.
By the end of 1818, all the northern lands of South America were in the power of the local population. The new state was named Great Colombia, and Simon Bolivar, given his contribution to the liberation cause, was entrusted with the presidency. He did not want to stop there, so he continued the war with the Spaniards. He dreamed of establishing the Southern United States.
Confusion and vacillation
1822 brought changes to the personal life of our hero. The commander met the wife of an English merchant, Manuela Saenz. She was a woman with a difficult biography - an illegitimate child who was given to nuns to be raised at an early age, the freedom-loving Creole fled from the holy monastery and got married. She fell in love with Bolivar and ran after him from her husband.
An affair with a married woman did not undermine the authority of the politician as much as reprisals against former allies, constant wars and the desire to write a single constitution for a huge country. Local chieftains argued that Smona Bolivar was only interested in his own career and that he was striving to go down in history as an American Bonaparte. In 1828, the conspirators broke into the presidential palace. The life of the country's leader was saved by his beloved.
Dream collapse
Despite the fact that Simon Bolivar had supporters, he began to doubt that he was supported unanimously. The confederation he created was falling apart before our eyes, he himself was called a usurper and did not want to be seen at the head of the country. After a series of attempts to cope with the anarchy with the forces of the troops, the statesman issued a statement where he asked his fellow citizens not to make hasty conclusions, he suspected that the former masters of the continent instilled hatred towards him in the Americans.
In 1830, the frustrated politician resigned. He gave up his post and pension, wrote off his property to the state and left for the province. He passed away the same year.
