The Liberators of South America

Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) was the greatest leader of Latin America's independence movement from Spain. A superb general and a charismatic politician, he not only drove the Spanish from northern South America but also was instrumental in the early formative years of the republics that sprang up once the Spanish had gone. His later years are marked by the collapse of his grand dream of a united South America. He is remembered as "The Liberator," the man who liberated his home from Spanish rule.

Bernardo O'Higgins (1778-1842) was a Chilean landowner and one of the leaders of its struggle for Independence. Although he had no formal military training, O'Higgins took charge of the ragged rebel army and fought the Spanish from 1810 to 1818 when Chile finally achieved its Independence. Today, he is revered as the liberator of Chile and the father of the nation.

Sebastian Francisco de Miranda (1750-1816) was a Venezuelan patriot, general and traveler considered the "Precursor" to Simon Bolivar's "Liberator." A dashing, romantic figure, Miranda led one of the most fascinating lives in history. A friend of Americans such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, he also served as a General in the French Revolution and was the lover of Catherine the Great of Russia. Although he did not live to see South America freed from Spanish rule, his contribution to the cause was considerable.

Manuela Sáenz (1797-1856) was an Ecuadorian noblewoman who was the confidante and lover of Simón Bolívar before and during the South American wars of Independence from Spain. In September, 1828, she saved Bolívar's life when political rivals tried to assassinate him in Bogotá: this earned her the title "the Liberator of the Liberator." She is still considered a national hero in her native city of Quito, Ecuador.

General Manuel Carlos Piar (1777-1817) was an important leader of the independence from Spain movement in northern South America. A skilled naval commander as well as a charismatic leader of men, Piar won several important engagements against the Spanish between 1810 and 1817. After opposing Simón Bolívar, Piar was arrested in 1817 before being tried and executed under orders from Bolivar himself.

José Félix Ribas (1775 - 1815) was a Venezuelan rebel, patriot and general who fought alongside Simon Bolivar in the struggle for Independence for northern South America. Although he had no formal military training, he was a skilled general who helped win some major battles and contributed enormously to Bolívar's "Admirable Campaign." He was a charismatic leader who was good at recruiting soldiers and making eloquent arguments for the cause of independence. He was captured by royalist forces and executed in 1815.

Santiago Mariño (1788- 1854) was a Venezuelan general, patriot and one of the great leaders of Venezuela's War of Independence from Spain. He later tried several times to become President of Venezuela, and even seized power for a short time in 1835. His remains are housed in Venezuela's National Pantheon, a mausoleum designed to honor the greatest heroes and leaders of the country.

Francisco de Paula Santander (1792-1840) was a Colombian lawyer, General and politician. He was an important figure in the Independence wars with Spain, rising to the rank of General while fighting for Simón Bolívar. Later, he became president of New Granada, and is today remembered for his long and bitter disputes with Bolívar over the governance of northern South America once the Spanish had been driven off.