Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan soldier and statesman who led the wars that freed much of South America from Spanish rule, earning him the title "the Liberator" and giving his name to the country of Bolivia. He spent much of his life on horseback, riding an estimated 75,000 miles across mountains and plains during his campaigns, including a brutal crossing of the Andes with his troops through hail and snow. In 1815, writing from exile in Jamaica, he dictated his famous Jamaica Letter, laying out his vision for a united, independent South America. He served as president of the short-lived nation of Gran Colombia and, late in life, ruled it as dictator, and he died in 1830.
Encyclopedia entry confirming birth (July 24, 1783, Caracas), death (December 17, 1830, near Santa Marta), presidency of Gran Colombia, and his 1828-30 rule as dictator of Gran Colombia.
UNESCO Memory of the World record confirming Bolívar dictated the Jamaica Letter on September 6, 1815, in Kingston, while in exile, to his secretary Pedro Briceño Méndez.
History.com feature confirming Bolívar rode an estimated 75,000 miles on horseback during his campaigns, including a brutal Andes crossing through hail and snow.
Added 3 Sept 2026 · claude-sonnet-5
How this life story was put together
Put together from the sources above. The dates and details haven’t been checked against them yet.
