Simon Bolivar Street

The war of independence of Latin America, which was invaded and colonized by the Europeans, started suddenly. Before the 19th century, although there were some signs of a struggle for independence, the stable administration style of the colonial administration delayed this process. When the influence of Europe on the continent decreased, it was expected that especially the lower classes would revolt, and it did. For example, slaves who rebelled in Haiti succeeded in seizing power. However, this was not the case everywhere. The revolts that took place in the region called Brazil and Spanish America remained softer movements. After the uprisings in these regions, the whites did not lose their position and managed to maintain the status difference between the local people and the blacks. However, these uprisings led to the establishment of more than 10 republics in Latin America. It was thanks to the uprisings that the caste system was overthrown and people of mixed race gained prestige in society.

The wars made changed Latin America. People with different skin colors received the title of war heroes for their courage. More than bloodshed had to be done before independence could be achieved. People had to serve the same purpose and own the land they lived in. In the early years of the war, no one had any idea that contemporary Latin American peoples could exist.

No one thought they could have anything in common with a Latin American Indian, an African slave, and a Spanish landed owner other than living in the same area. Thus, the leaders who organized the struggle for independence knew that they had to work hard to create a nation that desired the same goal from these very different classes. Such a union had to be established that all of these people could fight for independence by betraying their kings. This unity manifested itself as liberalism and nationalism in Latin America.

In the beginning of Latin America's struggle for independence, internal turmoil in Europe played a large part, because when Europe had to deal with its own problems, the colonial administration could not act strongly enough and showed weakness. Especially in the first quarter of the 1800s, the crises experienced in Europe led to years of tension. Latin America struggled for independence by taking advantage of the weakness of Europe.

In Haiti, a French colony, there was a major slave revolt in 1781. In those years, there was political and economic instability in France. At the end of the unstable process, the French Revolution took place. In those years, Haiti turned this into an opportunity and rebelled. Slaves in Haiti eliminated many landowners. The armies that France sent to Haiti to suppress the rebellion were defeated by the slaves who devoted themselves to freedom. The rebellion of the slaves put the landowners in Haiti in a difficult situation for many years.

When it comes to Latin America's struggle for independence, the first leader that comes to mind is, of course, Simon Bolivar. Simon Bolivar is the most famous general of the independence struggle. Thanks to him, 5 different Latin American nations gained their independence. Bolivar, who comes from a noble family from Caracas, fought honorably for the independence of all Latin American peoples, rejecting his opportunities to be noble. Bolivar, who is white and belongs to the upper class, succeeded in gaining the trust of the mostly non-white indigenous people and carried out this struggle for independence.

I watched a movie about Bolivar. Bolivar was played by Javier Bardem in that movie. Simon Bolivar was a great man who fought for his people and deserved all respect. The name of a street with consulates in the capital of my country is Simon Bolivar.

Simon Bolivar Street/ Ankara/ Turkey

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