Gran Colombia & Venezuela

Simon Bolivar's Vision of Gran Colombia

Simon Bolivar, the liberator, was born in Venezuela. Bolivar had a vision to form a super-united Latin American nation, starting with the union of Venezuela and New Granada.

Bolivar became President of the newly formed Colombia, consisting of Venezuela, New Granada, and Ecuador in 1821.

Bolivar's next mission of liberation was in Peru and Bolivia, so he left.

Franciso de Paula Santander, his vice president, took over for him.

Under Santander, the following was implemented:

- gradual abolition of slavery

- end of native tribute

- division of native lands into private property

- expansion of education

Conflict and the Disunion of Gran Colombia

Several factors threatened the union of Gran Colombia. First, the geography was not condusive to union because of mountains dividing the country. This made traveling across the country expensive and difficult and strained economic ties across the country.

Further, the elite Venezuelan planters disproved of Bolivar's vision of a united Latin American Republic because it conflicted with their economic interests. These planters grew cacao. (See Left)

Then, in 1826, Jose Antonio Paez united with llaneros and caudillos to proclaim revolt. In 1829, so-called popular assemblies formed by these caudillos voted for independence. In this way, Venezuela secedes from Gran Colombia, followed by Ecuador.

GRAN COLOMBIA DIES

The Rise of Venezuela

Venezuela approved a new constitution on May 6, 1830. It excluded the majority of the Venezuelan population.

Paez became the president and supreme army commander.

The latifundio was the basic unit of the Venezuelan economy. The economy was propelled by labor systems such as slavery, peonage, tenancy and sharecropping. However, slavery was in decline because it became less profitable. The Congress of 1830 required the freedom of slave children at the age of 21, but more masters freed their slaves voluntarily.

Coffee replaced cacoa as the main export of Venezuela. This helped Venezuela recover economically. However, a coffee boom in the 1830's lead planters to take credit to expand, which then caused a depression in the 1840's when prices dropped.

The Conservative/Liberal Split in Venezuala

The Conservatives were led by Paez. It supported the interests of:
- export-import merchants
- moneylenders
- high bureaucracy

- great landowners
The Liberals were led by Antonio Leocadio Guzman. It supported the interests of:
- planters with debt
- urban middle class
- intellectuals and artisans
- angered caudillos

Because he questioned the results of elections and conservative economic policies, Guzman was sentenced to death after he indirectly caused popular uprisings (1846-1847). However, Jose Tadeo Monagas became the new president, and reduced Guzman's sentence to exile.

The Federal War in Venezuela, 1858-1863

Difficult times in the late 1850's contributed to the war, as well as Monagas's oppressive rule. Both Liberals and Conservatives joined together in 1858 to overthrow Monagas. However, extreme conservatives took power and created a more oppressive regime than that of Monagas. This is described as a new oligarcy.

The liberals responded in uprising, and war began. A significant battle was at Santa Ines in 1859, when the Conservatives lost. The war ended in 1863 with the Treaty of Coche, negotiated by Antonio Guzman Blanco. After winning, the Liberals wrote a new constitution in 1864.

Hugo Chavez often refers to Bolivar and the Federal War as inspirations for his actions.

Guzman Blanco Takes Power

Guzman Blanco took power in 1870. He maintained control by forming alliances with the merchant class and the caudillos.

He wanted the following things:

A practical Venezuelan republic

Capitalism

Internal improvements

However, after being in power for 20 years, Guzman Blanco did not achieve much toward these goals. In fact, his promise of internal improvements led him to seek foreign aid from the British, leading to economic dependency and foreign debt.

He also opposed the church and officially ended tithing.

Castro Takes Over

In 1899, Ciprian Castro and his friend Juan Vincente Gomez took power when Guzman Blanco left for Europe. Castro becomes president in 1901 and approves a new constitution. He promotes centralization and strong armed forces.

At the time, Venezuela was in economic ruin because of war and depression. Therefore, Castro demanded that wealthy Venezuelans give him money. At the same time, Germans and British demanded repayment of their loans, but Venezuela did not have the money. In 1902, the British and Germans sent warships to Venezuela and blockaded their ports.