Simon Bolivar believed that Latin America's people could not live in a democratic republic, and enshrined himself as president for life. What were the social and economic conditions that led Bolivar to this conclusion?

by Zeno_Fobya

How were these conditions different to those in the 13 colonies? Certainly there was a higher percentage of native peoples in the population. Also the administrative infrastructure of Spanish rule instead of British.

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As an enlightenment thinker, presumably Bolivar would have been an advocate for democracy and rule by the people?

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Would the geography and physical/climatic differences have anything to do with this? Or Venezuela's economic underpinnings (export based agriculture)?

drylaw

You may be interested in this older answer of mine, which goes into Bolivar's political beliefs from a couple of perspectives: I look at Spanish American precursors to the independence wars that influenced Bolívar; then at international influences (incl. the French and U.S.); and lastly at colonial influences carrying into post-colonial times.

Probably the main question of yours I'm not addressing in there would be the one on geographical/climatic differences and Venezuela's economy which I'm less familiar with -- although here I'd argue that the different (international, colonial) influences I describe had a bigger impact on Bolívar's thought than e.g. the geography or economy of one particular Latin American country. In case of follow ups to that post let me know.

Also adding my conclusion from there as an intro:

I took Bolívar as an example to show his debts to earlier thinkers and revolutionaries (Rodríguez, Miranda), and his changing ideas regarding governance in the early phase of Liberalism – somewhere between republicanism, aristocracy and monarchy. Local traditions of resistance and the Haitian revolution provided deterrents for elites fearing uprisings by slaves and indigenous people. More generally it's important to keep in mind the creole elites' interest during the independence wars, as they mostly tempered calls for more equality as to hold on to their traditional rights. In the end, looking simply for exterior influences misses Latin America's original contributions in theory and practice.