Simon Bolivar

Throughout history there have been several leaders who

used their cunning and sly intelligence to trick the general

population into following them and their beliefs. Eventually,

these leaders had so much support, they could no longer be

called leaders, but absolute and dictatorial rulers. However,

during the period of Enlightenment and of the French

Revolution, non-maleficent ideas, created by Locke,

Montesquieu, Voltaire, and other Enlightenment

Philosophes, were spread throughout the European

population. They stated the opposition to absolute

monarchies as well as a new main focus on people's innate

rights and freedoms. Many leaders after this period of

Enlightenment preached its ideas, while others simply used

them to gain power. Simon Bolivar might have preached

opinions that mainly reflected the ideas of the French

Revolution. However, his actions contradicted these

opinions, and revealed that his true intentions were selfish

and illiberal.

In several documents and speeches, Bolivar stated that he

was very fond of freedom, liberty and equality. Clearly, it

would seem that he desired democracy. This can be seen in

his "Jamaican Letter", where he states "More than anyone I

desire to see America fashioned into the greatest nation in

the world, greatest not so much by virtue of her area and

wealth as by her freedom and glory." However, he adds

to this "love of freedom" in saying that it is "inconceivable"

to set up such a government, simply because there is not

enough political knowledge for a system such as that to run.

Further, Bolivar says that he agrees with the ideas of

Montesquieu, who played a very important role during the

Enlightenment period, and states that he is against

absolutism. In looking at the beliefs Bolivar spoke of, one

could almost come to the conclusion that he directly

lectured the ideas fought for in the French Revolution;

opposition to absolute monarchies, natural rights and

freedoms, ideas of