Essay about Venezuela and Simon Bolivar

Submitted By liamraleigh2
Words: 695
Pages: 3

Venezuela, a small Spanish speaking country in South America has undergone great change in past decades, starting with its secession from Spain. Venezuela came from humble starts, being founded by the Spanish simply in order to hold other European countries off from trying to conquer Latin America. However, the natives did not care for their Spanish rulers as the Spanish only gave non-natives positions of power. The shift from colonialism to nationalism shook Spains grip on her colonies. Simón Bolívar, known as El Libertador in Venezuela and many other Spanish colonies, certainly influenced change in Venezuelan government, politics, and culture through being instrumental in its liberation from its Spain.
Simon Bolivar influenced the politics and government of Venezuela, himself having written many manifestos on the bureaucracy and its policies. He was a prime candidate for the writing of laws and legal documents since he was in Paris at the time of the Salons and enlightenment. His knowledge of enlightenment ideas gave him modern insight on society and a better ability to create laws congruent with enlightenment civil rights ideas. When Bolivar watched Napoleon crown himself emperor, Bolivar saw this as a great betrayal to the political campaign Napoleon spearheaded and promises Napoleon had made to France. Bolivar swore never to break the eternal promise of liberty to his people from that point onward. Bolivar went on to master Italian politics and also studied the Italian enlightenment law ideals in great depth. Overcome with awe at the equality of peoples in Italian government, he made his second promise to his people.
‘“I swear before you, I swear by the God of my fathers, I swear on their graves, I swear on my Country that I will not rest body or soul until I have broken the chains binding us to the will of Spanish might!’"# Even so he decided that the Democracy form of government was unfit for the ignorance of Latin America as he believed that for fair rule some civil rights would have to be constricted. He tried to form a social state with his failed attempt to assimilate Venezuela into the dictatorship of Gran Colombia. Finally he granted Venezuela a federal republic government. As is obvious, Simon Bolivar has dramatically and drastically had effect on Venezuelan government and politics.
Bolivar was the main push and drive that ordered and organized Venezuela and overthrew Spanish dominance over it. In 1806 Bolivar returned from his escapades in Europe to find Venezuela in tatters, caught up in a war and economic crisis. His initial reaction was to join the resistance and organize the Venezuelan militia.
“He had a profound effect on the resistance fighters as he was inspirational. He was strict and bound tight, the stuff of a military hero and that is what he