1810–1831
From revolution to republic to dissolution. The complete story of Gran Colombia—how it rose, what it achieved, and why it fell.
Caracas declares autonomy from Spain following Napoleon's invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. The Supreme Junta is formed, beginning the revolutionary period.
Venezuela formally declares independence from Spain—the first South American nation to do so. The First Republic is proclaimed.
A devastating earthquake strikes Caracas. Spanish royalists exploit the chaos. The First and Second Republics fall. Bolívar goes into exile, writing the Cartagena Manifesto.
In exile in Kingston, Bolívar writes his famous letter outlining his vision for a united Latin America. The intellectual blueprint for Gran Colombia is born.
Bolívar returns from exile. The liberation campaigns begin in earnest. Haitian President Alexandre Pétion provides crucial support in exchange for Bolívar's promise to abolish slavery.
Bolívar delivers his famous speech to the Congress of Angostura, laying out the philosophical and political foundation for the new republic.
Bolívar's forces cross the Andes and decisively defeat the Spanish at Boyacá, liberating New Granada (Colombia). The path to Gran Colombia is cleared.
The Congress of Angostura proclaims the Republic of Colombia (Gran Colombia), uniting Venezuela, New Granada, and eventually Ecuador under one government. Bolívar becomes president.
The Congress of Cúcuta adopts the constitution of Gran Colombia, establishing a centralized republic. The new nation has a population of about 2.5 million and spans over 2 million square kilometers.
Antonio José de Sucre defeats the Spanish at Pichincha, liberating Quito. Ecuador joins Gran Colombia. The republic now stretches from the Caribbean to the Pacific.
Bolívar meets José de San Martín in Guayaquil. The outcome remains mysterious, but San Martín withdraws from Peru, leaving Bolívar to complete the liberation of South America.
Sucre defeats the last major Spanish army at Ayacucho. Spanish rule in South America effectively ends. Gran Colombia stands as the dominant power on the continent.
Bolívar convenes the Congress of Panama to create a league of American nations. Only Gran Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Central America attend. The dream of continental unity begins to fade.
A constitutional convention is called to reform the government. Federalists and centralists cannot agree. The convention dissolves without result. The cracks widen.
Conspirators attempt to assassinate Bolívar in Bogotá. He escapes through a window with the help of his lover, Manuela Sáenz. The republic is tearing itself apart.
General José Antonio Páez leads Venezuela's secession from Gran Colombia. Bolívar's dream begins to die.
Ecuador secedes under General Juan José Flores. Gran Colombia now exists in name only.
Antonio José de Sucre, Bolívar's closest ally and the hero of Ayacucho, is assassinated in the mountains of Colombia. Bolívar loses his last hope for succession.
Simón Bolívar dies near Santa Marta, Colombia, at the age of 47. His final words: "All who have served the Revolution have plowed the sea." Gran Colombia officially dissolves the following year.
The Legacy
Caracas, Bogotá, and Quito each had their own elites, their own interests, their own visions. The centralized constitution favored Bogotá, breeding resentment.
The wars of liberation had devastated the economy. There was no money to build the infrastructure or institutions a unified nation required.
Regional caudillos—Páez in Venezuela, Flores in Ecuador, Santander in New Granada—found they could be big fish in small ponds rather than small fish in a big pond.
Britain and the United States preferred a divided Latin America—easier to control, easier to exploit. United, Gran Colombia would have been a rival. Divided, it became a market.
The same forces that destroyed Gran Colombia in 1830 continue to operate today. But forces can be resisted. History is not destiny.