Simón Bolívar
Learn about Simón Bolívar — 'the Liberator' who led the independence of six South American nations from Spanish colonial rule.
Simón Bolívar (1783–1830), known as 'El Libertador' ('The Liberator'), was the Venezuelan military and political leader who was instrumental in liberating much of South America from Spanish rule. He is the namesake of Bolivia and a national hero across the continent — the George Washington of Latin America, though his story ended in bitter disillusionment.
Born into a wealthy Creole family in Caracas, Bolívar was educated in Europe, where he was influenced by Enlightenment thinkers and the example of Napoleon. He returned to Venezuela and dedicated his life to independence, leading military campaigns of extraordinary difficulty across Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. His crossing of the Andes — a feat compared to Hannibal's and Napoleon's Alpine crossings — demonstrated both his military daring and the devotion of his soldiers.
Bolívar dreamed of a united South America — a 'Gran Colombia' that would rival the United States in power and influence. But political rivalries, regional divisions, and the persistence of colonial social structures frustrated this vision. Gran Colombia dissolved into separate nations during his lifetime. Bolívar died in 1830, reportedly saying: 'All who served the revolution have plowed the sea.' Yet his legacy endures as the symbolic father of South American independence and a reminder of both the possibilities and limitations of revolutionary idealism.