CHASQUI PERUVIAN MAIL Year 3, number 6 Cultural Bulletin of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs February 2005 . m c 0 0 1 x 0 2 1 . s a v n a c n o l i O . ) s n a i c i s u m h t i w s r e c n a D ( . 2 0 0 2 . s o c i s ú m n o c s e t n a z n a D . o c n a l o P e u q i r n E BOLIVAR’S INTEGRATIONIST PROJECTS / E. A. WESTPHALEN: POETRY ENRIQUE POLANCO’S PAINTINGS / CATHEDRALS IN PUNO SIMON BOLIVAR: A LOOK AT HIS INTEGRATIONIST POLICIES Scarlett OPhelan * The recent celebration of the 180th anniversary of the victory in Ayacucho and the invitation to the Amphictyonyc Congress in Panama, prompted us to review the Liberators integrationist projects. His dreams of regional unity are still valid, decisively gaining momentum after the historic creation of the South American Community of Nations. imon Bolivar was born in Caracas Venezuela, Nueva Granada and Quito S on July 24th 1783, during a period materialized, later joined by Panama between wars. The war of independence in 1821. This political block of countries in the British Colonies in North America was effective for eleven years, had just ended and the 8rench specifically between 1819 and 1830. Revolution was about to break out. 8rom It has been said that the Gran Co- then on, his whole life would in some lombia State was created on a way be influenced by revolutions. precarious foundation and the fact that As a young widower, Bolivar began it lasted for ten years was mainly due to travelling around Europe in 1804, Simon Bolivars strong will. In 1829, a alongside his old master, Simon year before the new state collapsed, Rodriguez. In fact, they were both in Bolivar wrote the following to General Paris during the coronation of Napoleon OReally: «We all know that New Gra- Bonaparte. During his stay in Europe, nada and Venezuela are joined solely the young Bolivar was soon won over by my authority, which will soon give by the independence-oriented way, when so decided by Providence tendency that originated in England in or mankind». favour of the liberation of the Spanish Nevertheless and despite these colonies in America, probably in fears, the truth is that Gran Colombia response to Spains open support of the appeared as the most important political British colonies in North America power in South America during the during their struggle for freedom from years immediately after the British rule. The emancipation of Independence. It is undeniable that Spanish America became one of the regional integration efforts provided Bolivars main objectives, to which end an abundance of natural resources. he did not limit himself to promoting Venezuela became a territory of large the armed fight, but drew up a project landed estates rich in livestock; New for a unified political nation known as Granada became the mining area par «Gran Colombia». excellence, with intensive industrial and commercial activities; Quito was THE GRAN COLOMBIA PROJECT the region of cocoa exports and textile factories. The combination of these The idea of large political blocks resources provided an economic base comprised of Spanish American States that, well managed, could convert Gran was proposed by certain Independence Colombia into a region with a powerful ideologists, such as 8rancisco de Miran- continental influence. da. According to Miranda, in 1808 in However, two external factors the midst of the Napoleonic invasion of regionalism and the partisanship Simón Bolívar. José Gil de Castro (1785 - 1841) the Spanish peninsula and during the promoted by political leaders caused formation of government councils to the deterioration and eventual rule on behalf of 8erdinand VII it which was established in the area Colombia although not large enough disruption of Gran Colombia. was considered advisable to establish covered by the New Granada to become unmanageable. In his As Bolivar had suggested, it was four separate governments in America: Viceroyship in 1739. In a letter opinion, the centre (capital) could not important for the capital of the new 1) Mexico and Guatemala; 2) Santa 8e, addressed to General Santiago Nariño be located too far from its borders. He State to be situated in a central point, Caracas and Quito; 3) Peru and Chile; in 1813, Bolivar wrote about « .the also believed that if the Spanish equidistant from the rest of the territory. and 4) Buenos Aires and Tucuman. duty to form a nation with New Grana- American territory was split into small Hence the selection of Bogota as the Although the criteria used to structure da. This is what the population of Ve- states, these would be vulnerable and capital city. As a result of that decision, these blocks remains unclear, it must nezuela and Granada are voting for and easily subjugated by foreign powers. A however, Venezuela, where the project be admitted that although Santa 8e and in requesting such an interesting union large State, on the other hand, was had been created, was left on the Caracas had some things in common, of two regions, the brave sons of New capable of gaining respect and outskirts, far removed from the centre. in geographical, linguistic or ethnic Granada have come to liberate Vene- developing a better negotiating 8urthermore, based on the terms, there was little that an Andean zuela». 8urthermore, in his famous capacity. integrationist nature of the project, state like Quito could share with the letter written two years later in Jamai- Mirandas ideas initially and then Bolivar appointed the Colombian Ge- other two states. ca, he confirmed the suitability of a Bolivars, and the proposals made by the neral 8rancisco de Paula Santander as Bolivar rescued the second block common government for Nueva Gra- people of Venezuela, Granada and Vice-President in Bogota, the decision- comprised of Santa 8e, Caracas and nada, Venezuela and Quito, combined Quito at the Angostura congress in 1819 making centre. Meanwhile, he began Quito from Mirandas project, giving in a single State named Colombia. and in Cucuta in 1821, were key factors his military campaign towards the shape to what would become the Bolivar was thinking about the for the creation of the Gran Colombia south, to finalize the independence of territory of his Gran Colombia project, constitution of a very large state Gran political block, in which the union of America with the liberation of Peru CHASQUI 2 da, so as to achieve a promising future for the recently independent Spanish American countries. Even so, these results did not interfere with his integrationist efforts. By then Bolivar already had a new project in mind: the Andes Confederation, which would unite the territories of the countries his army had liberated, from Cumana to Chuquisaca. This proposal never materialized. The failure of Gran Co- lombia was a hard blow for the Liberator, who began to question whether the liberated America was mature enough to embark on an integrationist project. He died shortly after, on December 17th 1830. Soon before his death Bolivar wrote a final proclamation directed to the people of Colombia, asking them to «work for the incalculable good of the union». * Associate Professor, Pontificate Catholic University of Peru. Bibliography: Signing of the Capitulation of Ayacucho. Daniel Hernández (1856 1932) Museum of the Central Reserve Bank, Lima. Jose Luis Busaniche. Bolivar visto por sus contemporaneos, (Bolivar as seen by his contemporaries). 8ondo de Cultura from the Viceroyship. Venezuelan Hence the impression that Bolivars 22nd 1826, with delegations from Economica, Mexico. Third reprint. leaders, such as plainsman Jose Anto- integrationist project only incorporated Mexico, Central America, Colombia David Bushnell. Simon Bolivar. Hombre de nio Paez, deeply resented being Spanish-speaking countries. In and Peru. 8or one reason or another, Caracas, proyecto de America. (Man of Cara- subordinates of Santander, to the point addition, the exclusion of the United Brazil, Argentina and Chile did not cas, Project of America). Biblos Publishers. Buenos Aires, 2002. that in 1826 they fostered a States could indicate a certain lack of send representatives. Brazil probably confrontation between the populations confidence in the powerful country of resented not having been invited Josefina Zoraida Vasquez (co-ordinator). El nacimiento de las naciones iberoamericanas. (The of Venezuela and Granada. The Gran the north, coupled with the political initially, whereas Argentina and Chile birth of Spanish American nations). Mapfre Colombia project was showing serious and commercial rivalry between the probably felt closer to San Martin, who Tavera 8oundation, Madrid, 2002. signs of a breakdown. North Americans and their British had liberated both those countries. Jose Carlos Chiaramonte. Nacion y Estado counterparts, who were Bolivars allies. Although the United States sent two en Iberoamerica. El lenguaje político en tiempos THE AMPHICTYONYC It was robably the fear of what was then representatives, one of them died on de las independencias. (Nation and State in CONGRESS IN PANAMA referred to as the «pardocracia» the way and the other arrived too late. Spanish America. Political Language during (mulatto society) that prevented him Even though alliance treaties had been independence times). Editorial Sudameri- During the Ayacucho campaign in cana, Buenos Aires, 2004. 1824, Bolivar had remained in Lima See also: drawing up plans for a new integrationist project. This time, it was «During the Ayacucho campaign in 1824, Bolivar had Timothy Anna. La caída del gobierno español a system involving a permanent alliance remained in Lima drawing up plans for a new en el Perú (The fall of the Spanish government and mutual cooperation between in Peru). Institute of Peruvian Studies, Lima, 2003.