Bolívar, Simón,
(1783-1830), South American soldier and statesman, the principal leader
in the struggle for South American independence from Spain. Bolívar
was born in Caracas, Venezuela. In 1810 he fought against the Spanish during
a revolt in Venezuela and was forced to flee the country. Bolívar
captured Caracas in 1813 and assumed dictatorship. Royalist forces defeated
him again in 1814, and he went into exile in Jamaica and later Haiti.
Bolívar again invaded Venezuela in 1817. He established a revolutionary
government at Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar), and he was elected
president of Venezuela. In 1819 Bolívar's army defeated the Spanish
at Boyacá. Several months later he became president of the newly
formed republic of Colombia, consisting of Venezuela and New Granada.
In 1824 Bolívar led the revolutionary forces of Peru in their
fight for independence. He was elected president of Peru in 1825 and later
organized in southern Peru a new republic, which was named Bolivia in his
honor. Bolívar resigned the presidency of the republic of Colombia
in August 1828, but later assumed dictatorial control. Unable to pacify
contending factions, he relinquished power in 1830. Source: Encarta
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