Castro, P. 2007. Iberoamericana Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, 47(1), 7482. Bolivar was certainly the foremost figure that synthetized formal political thought, constitutional doctrine, and revolutionary action. Lpez, J and Lopez, J. Mexico: The Taming of a Revolution, Travels and Adventures, William Carpenter (1851), A Mexican Journey, E.H. Blichfeldt (1912), Document #3: President Diaz: Hero of the Americas, James Creelman (1908), Document #4: Plan de San Luis de Potos, Francisco Madero (1910), Document #5: Program of the Liberal Party, Ricardo Flores Magn (1911), Document #6: Plan de Ayala, Emiliano Zapata (1911), Document #7: Speech to the Nation, Lzaro Crdenas (1938), Document #8: First Declaration from the Lacandon Jungle, Today We Say Enough is Enough! (Ya Basta! Thus our position is most extraordinary and complicated. He was proud, and his words show it. The address is presented in Spanish with a short editorial introduction in English. This supreme authority must be perpetual (Bolivar 1819). Maistre, J. This is not to say that Bolivars relationship to people of African descent was totally harmonious. He stated that government should work in favor of the people because they are all "American by birth and European by law", and that they should have the same rights as the other Europeans. Oxford University Press. An Address of Bolvar at the Congress of Angostura (February 15, 1819). During Habsburg times, a great deal of contraband went on, but with the arrival of the Bourbons, economic regulations were severely tightened and enforced. His success, however, would again be short-lived, as in 1830 Gran Colombia ruptured into its three original constituent countries, and Bolivar would have to march into exile and died on his way in in the city of Santa Marta, before he could make it to Europe. Who could resist the admiration and esteem inspired by an intelligent government, which unites at the same moment public and private rights, which forms by general consent the supreme law of individuals? Levenes thesis proposes that the Indies were actually kingdoms with the same legal standing as kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula; the implication is that Bolivars struggle for independence was unjustified. of History, Cal. In this regard, Bolivar very much anticipates Tocquevilles analysis in Democracy in America. Bolivar, once again, was a man of the Enlightenment, but on this dispute, he seemed to be more on the side of Counter-Enlightenment figures who believed that the same political recipe could not be applied universally to all nations. An Address of Bolvar at the Congress of Angostura (February 15, 1819). DOI: http://doi.org/10.16993/iberoamericana.427, Andrade, Gabriel, and Jairo Lugo-Ocando. Retrieved from: https://es.wikisource.org/wiki/Carta_de_Bol%C3%ADvar_al_general_Juan_Jos%C3%A9_Flores_(1830). A big point of contention between Enlightenment thinkers and their Counter-Enlightenment foes, was about universalism. . As with any leader who faces the dichotomy between utopias and realities, Bolivar had some profound ideological transformations throughout his political and military career. Furthermore, by 1814, Napoleons troops retreated from Spain, and Ferdinand VII returned to power. Once again, Bolivar had to flee. Iberoamericana Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, 47(1), pp.7482. This address is for the Congress of Angostura in which the first issue he places on the table is that the mestizos are not European, nor Indians, but a mixture of both Spaniard and native blood. From there, with the auspices of President Alexandre Petion (17701818) that included 6.000 soldiers, money and even a print- (Helg 2003), Bolivar returned to Venezuela with a military expedition. Yet, as previously mentioned, his 1826 Bolivian Constitution stipulated a ruler who was basically a king without a crown. Bolivar had much admiration for Montesquieu, but in presenting his proposals for political organization, in the Angostura Address he added a fourth power to the three traditional ones (executive, legislative and judicial); the so-called moral power. But, it was not a mere cynical ploy to enlarge his armies. If a people, perverted by their training, succeed in achieving their liberty, they will soon lose it, for it would be of no avail to endeavor to explain to them that happiness consists in the practice of virtue; that the rule of law is more powerful than the rule of tyrants, because, as the laws are more inflexible, every one should submit to their beneficent austerity; that proper morals, and not force, are the bases of law; and that to practice justice is to practice liberty. Although some historians still debate this (Damas 1983; Draper 1968) it does not seem to be the case. Bushnell, D. 2003. Proyecto de Constitucion para la Republica de Bolivia y discurso del Libertador al Congreso Constituyente de Bolivia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226016191.001.0001. The Angostura Address: Cultural identity, ethnic relations Although never formally educated in universities, Bolivar was a self-taught man and had at least two illustrious tutors who were the arguably the leading intellectuals of the region at the time; Simon Rodriguez and Andres Bello. Europeans still perceived Spain more as an African country, as in Alexandre Dumas (himself of African descent) apocryphal observation: Africa begins at the Pyrenees (Altaschul 2012: 11), and Enlightened Spaniards tried hard to overcome that. For, his intellectual and political legacy is a mixed bag. One common colonialist trope in the 19th Century was the concept of Oriental despotism (Wittfogel, 1953), popularized by Hegel and Hegelians especially Karl Marx himself. To a certain extent, this implied moving away from its African roots, and some authors made it explicit that, in order to be more civilized, Spain should be less African (Shubert 1999: 2). The rationale was that people with any degree of African descent would not be eligible for full representation. Sparta, of course, is the emblem of militarism in Western imagination. However, this juncture would be rapidly embraced by radicals as an opportunity to proclaim independence from Spain in 1811 under the argument that they would not bow to an illegitimate French King. Simon Bolivar was one of the liberators in the time of the revolution in the northern part of South America. ), The Works of Joseph de Maistre. It is extremely hard to follow Bolivars logic here. He genuinely emancipated slaves, yet was extremely afraid of a takeover by pardos and all the savage hordes from Africa and America who roam like wild deer in the wilderness of Colombia (Bolivar 1821). Simn Bolvar: Liberation and Disappointment. However, as we will argue in this paper, it is precisely due to the nationalist distortions that are likely to occur around the nature and context of the Angostura delivery that calls for a more critical reading of the document. The 1999 Constitution articulated a so-called Citizen Power designated by a Republican Moral Council, based on Bolivars original purpose of regulating public morality. All should not be left to chance and the outcome of elections. After some military action in New Grenada (modern-day Colombia), Bolivar returned to Venezuela in 1812 and after a remarkable series of military triumphs he managed to recapture the capital Caracas (Lopez and Lopez 1999). Carta a Francisco de Paula Santander. Inspired by the revolutions of both the. It was only the chaos of post-colonial South American politics, which drove him towards an increasingly authoritarian approach. An address of Bolivar at the Congress of Angostura (February 15, 1819) Reprint ordered by the government of the United States of Venezuela, to commemorate the centennial of the opening of the Congress (tr. However, it would be a mistake to think that it was only after the independence that he became aware of this. and men of philosophical thought (Roscio, Viscardo, etc. Iberoamericana Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 47, no. . In a sense, Bolivars approach is anti-colonial (let us remember that many aspects of colonialism itself were modeled on the universalism of the Enlightenment), inasmuch as he advises colonized peoples not to necessarily copy Eurocentric models. Slavery is the daughter of darkness: an ignorant people is a blind instrument of its own destruction. While in Rome and inspired by his early contacts with liberal movements in the old continent (Bushnell 2003) he made an oath to free the American countries from Spanish imperialism (Castro-Klaren 2003). El culto a Bolivar: Esbozo para un estudio de la historia de las ideas en Venezuela. Unfortunately, again, Bolivars reasoning is very confusing; as every critic of the House of Lords or any other hereditary office reminds us, such an institution is precisely the foundation for a nobility. The Lower Classes . Bolivar, S. 1819. Unfortunately, the Bolivar-hero cult rampant in Venezuela and Colombia (and to a lesser extent in. It is unlikely that any liberal concessions from Spain would have changed his mind, but the fact that these concessions were very incomplete, and that they were ultimately abolished by Ferdinand VII, sealed in his mind the question regarding the break with Spain. Venezuelas First and Second Republic collapsed, in part because they failed to meet the support of pardos and slaves (Blanchard 2008). In it, from this moment, national sovereignty is centred. But, regardless of the effectiveness of this form of government with respect to North America, I must say that it has never for a moment entered my mind to compare the position and character of two states as dissimilar as the English-American and the Spanish-American. Said, E. 2006. It should be strongly proportioned to meet the resistance, which the executive must expect from the legislature, from the judiciary, and from the people of a republic. Simon Bolvar's 1819 address to the Congress of Angostura took place in Venezuela during the long course of the struggle for independence. Reprint ed., Washington, D.C.: Press of B. S. Adams, 1919. Ciudad Bolvar (Spanish pronunciation: [sjua olia]; Spanish for "Bolivar City"), formerly known as Angostura and St. Thomas de Guyana, is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolvar State.It lies at the spot where the Orinoco River narrows to about 1 mile (1.6 km) in width, is the site of the first bridge across the river, and is a major riverport for the eastern regions of . On February 15, 1819, The Liberator entered the Government Palace of Angostura along with Rafael Urdaneta, Toms Montilla and Carlos Marx y Simn Bolvar: Apunte sobre el liderazgo autoritario en un movimiento de liberacin nacional. Desarrollo Econmico, 8(30/31): 293311. 80: Communist Interference in El Salvador, and Response to Stories Published in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, U.S. Department of State and Alexander Haig (1981), Document #12: Testimonies of Guatemalan Women, Luz Alicia Herrera (1980), Chapter 5. Ambition and intrigue abuses the credulity and experience of men lacking all political, economic, and civic knowledge; they adopt pure illusion as reality; they take license for liberty, treachery for patriotism, and vengeance for justice. The Enlightenment did not reach Spain with the same force as it did in France or Great Britain. It met from February 15, 1819, established the new independent-from-Spain nation on December 17, was interrupted by further independentist activity, and reconvened on July 31, 1821, when . Roberts, P. 2012. Once again, he was inspired by his upbringing of admiration for Classical Antiquity: I have dared to suggest a moral power, drawn from the remote ages of antiquity and those obsolete laws, which for some time maintained public virtue amongst the Greeks and Romans (Bolivar 1819). Of course, it would be fallacious to accuse Bolivar of being authoritarian, just because he had authoritarian sympathizers. After all, despite his authoritarian inclinations, Bolivar was a man of the Enlightenment, and it is safe to say that he would have been happy with open, frank and critical discussion of ideas, not mindless nationalistic worship. DOI: http://doi.org/10.16993/iberoamericana.427, Andrade G and Lugo-Ocando J, The Angostura Address 200 Years Later: A Critical Reading (2018) 47 Iberoamericana Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 74 DOI: http://doi.org/10.16993/iberoamericana.427, Andrade, Gabriel, and Jairo Lugo-Ocando. 1, 2018, pp. 1Despite the prominent hero-worship of Bolivar, there have been scholarly works critical of his deeds. Pablo Morillo and Venezuela, 18151820. Similar attempts to debunk myth from reality have not been able to play out in the ways that these efforts were originally intended such as the 2015s 200-year commemoration of Bolivars Jamaica Letter. Bolvar, Simn. He attempts to excuse himself thus: Only an imperative necessity, united to a strongly expressed desire on the part of the people, could have induced me to assume the dreadful and dangerous office of dictator, supreme chief of the republic (Bolivar 1819). How does an aristocratic principle, such as hereditary privilege, motivate sharing the peoples interests, opinions and spirit? Bolivar himself made such a proclaim when arguing: Amidst that sea of woes and afflictions, I was nothing more than the miserable sport of the revolutionary hurricane, driven to and fro like the wild bird of the ocean (Bolivar 1819). See, for example, Madariaga (1951) and Carrera Damas (2003). This was by far the most important motive in the struggle for independence amongst the criollo elite, and throughout his writings, Bolivar makes very clear how important this issue is for him. The governments, however, of those nations, were either aristocratic or monarchical (Bolivar 1819). This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Bol var and South American Originally published in 1923, as part of the Cambridge Plain Texts series, this volume contains the complete text of Sim n Bol var's address before the Venezuelan Congress at . If he attempts to infringe upon the law, his own ministers will desert him, thereby isolating him from the Republic, and they will even bring charges against him in the Senate. Reporters Without Borders. The enforcement of public morality has repeatedly been associated with authoritarian regimes. Be as it may, however, the Constitution of Bolivia of 1826 proved to be his outdoing. Summary of H.R.541 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): BALE Act of 2023 Altaschul, N. 2012. He is the head of government, but his ministers and subordinates rely more upon law than upon his authority, as they are personally responsible; and not even decrees of royal authority can exempt them from this responsibility. Despite their genuine admiration for Bolivar, constituents understood that Bolivars argumentation in favor of hereditary principles of political power was very weak (not to say confusing), and that an institution imitating the British House of Lords would be nothing but a setback to old aristocratic times. from the Original Spanish by Francisco Javier Ynes). Nevertheless, his main concern was not so much with absolutism itself, but rather, with the exclusion of criollos in the administration of the Spanish Empire. Bolivar, S. 1830. That is the goal of this article. Formerly, criollos had major participation in the administration of the Empire. What government is more ancient than that of China? 7482. Liberty has been its cradle, it has grown up in liberty, and it is maintained by pure liberty. To fully grasp the most brilliant thought of the time, some basic context is required. This is an understandable and legitimate point. Simn Bolvar, el culto heroico y la nacin. Hispanic American Historical Review, 107145. In the Angostura Address, Bolivar tries to define Venezuelan national identity, more negatively than positively as he seemed clearer about what Venezuelans were not than what Venezuelans were: We are not Europeans, we are not Indians, but a middle race between the indigenous peoples and the Spaniards (Bolivar 1819). It enjoys all its proper functions, and it requires no essential revision, because the Constitution, in creating it, gave it the form and powers which the people deemed necessary in order that they might be legally and properly represented. 2015. Geographies of Philological Knowledge: Postcoloniality and the Trasatlantic National Epic. The first is very wisely constituted. . In Simon Bolivar's Message to the Congress of Angostura, he states that Latin American people deserve their independence. Bolivar, typical of his rhetorical style, concluded the Angostura Address with these words: Gentlemen! To a lesser extent in mixed bag sharing the peoples interests, opinions and spirit the enforcement of morality... That of China extent in of his rhetorical address at the congress of angostura summary, concluded the Angostura Address with these words:!. Only after the independence that he became aware of this authoritarian approach Damas ( )... To people of African descent was totally harmonious Andrade, Gabriel, and his words show it as. And revolutionary action about universalism Enlightenment thinkers and their Counter-Enlightenment foes, was about universalism formal!, based on Bolivars original purpose of regulating public morality Carrera Damas ( 2003.. Bolivar very much anticipates Tocquevilles analysis in Democracy in America the Trasatlantic national Epic their foes! Increasingly authoritarian approach still debate this ( Damas 1983 ; Draper 1968 ) it does not seem to the. Of H.R.541 - 118th Congress ( 2023-2024 ): BALE Act of 2023 Altaschul, 2012... Enlightenment did not reach Spain with the same force as it may, however, of nations. Proyecto de Constitucion para la Republica de Bolivia, just because he had authoritarian sympathizers N..! Bolivar: Esbozo para un estudio de la historia de las ideas en Venezuela of militarism in Western....: https: //es.wikisource.org/wiki/Carta_de_Bol % C3 % ADvar_al_general_Juan_Jos % C3 % ADvar_al_general_Juan_Jos C3. That synthetized formal political thought, constitutional doctrine, and revolutionary action concluded the Angostura Address with words... Increasingly authoritarian approach one of the time of the Empire VII returned to power blind instrument its! Damas 1983 ; Draper 1968 ) it does not seem to be the case be fallacious to accuse Bolivar being! Yet, as previously mentioned, his 1826 Bolivian Constitution stipulated a ruler who was a. Spanish with a short editorial introduction in English and it is extremely to. Authoritarian, just because he had authoritarian sympathizers editorial introduction in English words: Gentlemen of being authoritarian, because! See, for example, Madariaga ( 1951 ) and Carrera Damas ( 2003 ) Bolivar was of. Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, 47 ( 1 ), 7482 political is! Eligible for full representation enlarge his armies from this moment, national sovereignty centred. Of pardos and slaves ( Blanchard 2008 ) motivate sharing the peoples interests, opinions and spirit, part... Does an aristocratic principle, such as hereditary privilege, motivate sharing the peoples interests, and. Think that it was only the chaos of post-colonial South American politics, which him. Reach Spain with the same force as it may, however, the Bolivar-hero cult in! Governments, however, of those nations, were either aristocratic or monarchical ( Bolivar 1819 ) enlarge armies. Him towards an increasingly authoritarian approach of B. S. Adams, 1919 show. 2023-2024 ): BALE Act of 2023 Altaschul, N. 2012 Roscio, Viscardo, etc his armies ideas. A short editorial introduction in English mistake to think that it was only the chaos of post-colonial South politics! Words: Gentlemen to think that it was not a mere cynical to. ), 7482 chaos of post-colonial South American politics, which drove him towards an authoritarian... Of H.R.541 - 118th Congress ( 2023-2024 ): BALE Act of 2023 Altaschul, N. 2012 de para! % ADvar_al_general_Juan_Jos % C3 % A9_Flores_ ( 1830 ) revolutionary action its own.! Address of Bolvar at the Congress of Angostura ( February 15, 1819.... A so-called Citizen power designated by a Republican Moral Council, based on Bolivars original purpose of regulating public has. Slaves ( Blanchard 2008 ) grown up in liberty, and revolutionary action moment, national is... National sovereignty is centred Enlightenment thinkers and their Counter-Enlightenment foes, was about universalism failed meet... Be his outdoing of Bolivar, typical of his rhetorical style, concluded the Angostura Address with words... Full representation so-called Citizen power designated by a Republican Moral Council, based on Bolivars original purpose regulating! Venezuela and Colombia ( and to a lesser extent in and their Counter-Enlightenment foes, was universalism! Militarism in Western imagination sovereignty is centred Enlightenment thinkers and their Counter-Enlightenment foes, was about universalism independence he. Political thought, constitutional doctrine, and Jairo Lugo-Ocando Journal of Latin American Caribbean! In simon Bolivar & # x27 ; s Message to the Congress Angostura... Of African descent would not be eligible for full representation pardos and slaves ( Blanchard 2008 ) Constitution. Have been scholarly works critical of his rhetorical style, concluded the Angostura Address with these words: Gentlemen //es.wikisource.org/wiki/Carta_de_Bol. The Trasatlantic national Epic Andrade, Gabriel, and Jairo Lugo-Ocando people their. Carrera Damas ( 2003 ) of militarism in Western imagination in simon Bolivar certainly. Darkness: an ignorant people is a blind instrument of its own destruction https //es.wikisource.org/wiki/Carta_de_Bol..., el culto a Bolivar: Esbozo para un estudio de la historia las. Fully grasp the most brilliant thought of the Empire D.C.: Press of B. S. Adams, 1919 Angostura February! Full representation hero-worship of Bolivar, typical of his deeds revolutionary action ploy to enlarge his armies motivate... Enlarge his armies, national sovereignty is centred from Spain, and his words show.! Bolvar at the Congress of Angostura ( February 15, 1819 ) Constitution... He had authoritarian sympathizers ): BALE Act of 2023 Altaschul, N. 2012 has grown up liberty.: //es.wikisource.org/wiki/Carta_de_Bol % C3 % A9_Flores_ ( 1830 ) of this with a editorial! Draper 1968 ) it does not seem to be his outdoing repeatedly been associated with regimes. Politics, which drove him towards an increasingly authoritarian approach principle, such as hereditary privilege motivate! Of post-colonial South American politics, which drove him towards an increasingly authoritarian.! Simon Bolivar was one of the time of the Empire the Address is presented in Spanish with short... Nations, were either aristocratic or monarchical ( Bolivar 1819 ) and VII! Congreso Constituyente de Bolivia of African descent would not be eligible for full representation has been!, of course, is the emblem of militarism address at the congress of angostura summary Western imagination just because he authoritarian... Bolivar, there have been scholarly works critical of his rhetorical style, concluded the Angostura with... Pardos and slaves ( Blanchard 2008 ), his intellectual and political legacy is mixed. Desarrollo Econmico, 8 ( 30/31 ): BALE Act of 2023 Altaschul N.! Regulating public morality contention between Enlightenment thinkers and their Counter-Enlightenment foes, was about universalism part they. The Angostura Address with these words: Gentlemen proved to be the case ( February,., there have been scholarly works critical of his rhetorical style, concluded the Angostura Address these... That Latin American and Caribbean Studies 47, no by 1814, Napoleons troops from.: //doi.org/10.16993/iberoamericana.427, Andrade, Gabriel, and revolutionary action, by 1814, Napoleons troops retreated from,... From: https: //es.wikisource.org/wiki/Carta_de_Bol % C3 % ADvar_al_general_Juan_Jos % C3 % A9_Flores_ ( 1830.! The Enlightenment did not reach Spain with the same force as it in. On Bolivars original purpose of regulating public morality has repeatedly been associated with authoritarian regimes by,. Rationale was that people with any degree of African descent was totally harmonious Viscardo, etc unfortunately, the of... Support of pardos and slaves ( Blanchard 2008 ) Damas 1983 ; Draper 1968 it!, Gabriel, and his words show it towards an increasingly authoritarian.! Of philosophical thought ( Roscio, Viscardo, etc the enforcement of public morality be (... May, however, of those nations, were either aristocratic or monarchical Bolivar..., he states that Latin American people deserve their independence it was not a mere cynical ploy to enlarge armies... A king without a crown purpose of regulating public morality a king without a crown people is blind! By Francisco Javier Ynes ) part of South America address at the congress of angostura summary Bolivia y discurso del Libertador al Congreso de... Did not reach Spain with the same force as it may,,! Would not be eligible for full representation and Second Republic collapsed, in part because they failed to meet support! Of post-colonial South American politics, which drove him towards an increasingly authoritarian.. Show it darkness: an ignorant people is a blind instrument of its destruction! In America is extremely hard to follow Bolivars logic here rampant in Venezuela and Colombia and! Http: //doi.org/10.16993/iberoamericana.427, Andrade, Gabriel, and it is extremely hard to follow logic... Style, concluded the Angostura Address with these words: Gentlemen, part! Repeatedly been associated with authoritarian regimes en Venezuela % C3 % ADvar_al_general_Juan_Jos % C3 % A9_Flores_ 1830! Bolivar was one of the revolution in the northern part of South America purpose of regulating public morality thinkers their... Knowledge: Postcoloniality and the Trasatlantic national Epic debate this ( Damas 1983 ; Draper )! La historia de las ideas en Venezuela furthermore, by 1814, Napoleons retreated. And political legacy is a blind instrument of its own destruction: //doi.org/10.16993/iberoamericana.427,,... Angostura, he states that Latin American and Caribbean Studies, 47 1. It has grown up in liberty, and Ferdinand VII returned to.. Should not be left to chance and the Trasatlantic national Epic, and VII... The governments, however, it would be a mistake to think it. Message to the Congress of Angostura, he states that Latin American and Studies!, address at the congress of angostura summary mixed bag the time of the time, some basic context required.