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forthenextdecadesinUS-LatinAmericanrelationscouldbeobserved.Someofthem
arestillpresenttoday.Theconsciousnessofmutualdifferenceshassurviveduntilthe
presenttimeamongLatinAmericansandoftenhadandstillhasahugeinfluenceontheir
attitudestowardtheUnitedStates.Also,thetendencytotreattheWesternHemisphereas
itsownsphereofinfluencehasbeenpresentintheUSLatinAmericanpolicyinvarious
periods.Thelimitednatureofthoserelationswasaconsequenceoftheconditionofboth
theUnitedStatesandthenewLatinAmericanStates.Themainattentionwasfocusedon
internalaffairsandthemostimportantobjectiveofforeignpolicywasstrengtheningthe
justachievedindependence.
SimónBolivar:LetterfromJamaica,September6,
1815
ThewarsforindependenceinLatinAmericabeganattheturnofthefirstandsecond
decadeofthe19thcentury.Thereareplentyofreasonsthatcausedthegreatwaveof
insurrections.Theycanbedividedintwogroups:internalandexternal.Oneofthefirst
nationsofLatinAmericathatroseupwasVenezuela.InAprilof1810,thetowncouncil
(cabildoabierto)inCaracas,dominatedbyradicalCreoles,announceditsdecisionof
definitiveseveranceofanydependencyfromSpain.Oneofthemostimportantpersons
amongthisradicalCreolegroupwasSimónBolivar.Soonhebecameanunquestionable
leaderofwarsforindependence,notonlyinVenezuelabutinamajorityoftheLatin
Americancountries.Afewmonthslater,inJulyof1811,theVenezuelanCongress
announcedanActofIndependenceandtheinsurgentforces,ledbySimónBolivar
enteredCaracas.Itwasthefirstgreatsuccessofthisyoungleader.Becausethemajority
ofthecountrywasstilldominatedbyloyalists,hestartedhiscampaigntoassurereal
independencefortheentireterritoryofVenezuelathatwasapartoftheviceroyaltyof
NewGrenada.Aftertwoyearsofstruggles,notonlywithloyalistsbutalsowithother
forcesthatdidnotaccepthisleadership,heonceagainenteredCaracasasavictorious
hero.HewasgrantedthetitleofLibertadorasaconsequenceofhismilitarysuccesses
inthestruggleforindependence.ThesituationinVenezuelainthemiddleofthesecond
decadeofthe19thcenturywasverycomplicated.Thefirstgreatsuccessesoftheforcesled
bySimónBolivardidnotmeanthefinalvictoryandindependence.First,theLibertador
hasseriousenemiesinhisowncountry.Themostimportantandpowerfulforcewerethe
socalledllaneros-cowboys,farmersandfugitiveslavesthatlivedinunfriendlyregion
calledllanos.Atthattimetheywerecommandedbytheirleader,JoséTomásBoves.
TogetherwithloyalistforcestheydefeatedBolivar’sarmyinmid-1814.Thisresulted
inBolivar’stemporarydeparturefromVenezuela.HedecidedtogotoBogotawherehe
wantedtohelpinthestruggleagainsttheSpaniardsandtheirsupporters.Simultaneously,
thereweregreatchangesinEuropeanaffairs.AftertheendofNapoleonicwarson