Later in his life as a revolutionary, Bolivar used part of the mineral income to help to finance the South American revolutionary wars although the British Empire was a prime contributor because of Britain's interest in gaining access to the rich trade opportunities in the region. Towards the later 1600s, copper was exploited with the name "Cobre Caracas." These mines became property of Simón Bolívar's family. In 1632, gold was first mined, leading to further discoveries of extensive copper deposits. In 1605, more precise locations of ores became known, particularly in a small valley lateral to the Aroa River next to La Quebrada de Las Minas. A portion of their wealth by the 1600s came from the Aroa River gold and copper mines in Venezuela.īy the 1500s, rumors about rich gold deposits around the rivers Yaracuy, Santa Cruz, and Aroa brought Spanish settlers, including members of the Bolivar family, to the region. The Bolívar aristocratic bloodline derives from Puebla de Bolíbar (also Bolívar or Bolívar, today part of the municipality of Ziortza-Bolibar), a small village in the Basque county of Biscay ( Spain), and is the origin of their surname.
Bolivar's own inability to build coalitions with other key players in Latin American independence such as Francisco de Miranda and, most importantly, with Jose Antonio de San Martin, the liberator, and "the Protector" of the Southern Cone helps to explain why, even before the end of Bolivar's life, Latin America had splintered into military-controlled fiefdoms, which would define Latin America's political evolution and legacy. This sense of political disenfranchisement, as well as Spain's insistence on being Latin America's only European trade partner, led to a growing sense of alienation and to the calls to follow the example of the colonies of North America by gaining independence from Spain.Īlthough Bolivar has become known as the chief architect of Latin America's independence and was ceaseless in his dedication to independence and in his love for Latin America, he is often criticized for having focused too much on securing his place in history as the father of Latin American independence. Although they might accumulate great material wealth, they could not hold political office.
Europeans born in Latin America were referred to as criollos or Creoles. The viceroys, who represented the King and were appointed for five year terms, and other key holders of power had to be not only pure Europeans but they had to have been born in Europe. One-fifth of all of the gold, precious stones and other wealth extracted from the Americas were the property of the King. The Spanish crown had ruled its American colonies through vice regencies, with the former Aztec Empire, the former Incan Empire, and Buenos Aires being the three largest. Credited with leading the fight for independence in what are now the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia, he is revered as a liberator in those countries-although the Bolivarian dream of a unified America never came to realization.īolivar is known as "El Libertador," The Liberator. Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Ponte Palacios y Blanco (JDecember 17, 1830) was a South American independence leader.
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