LEADERS: Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chavez

We have discussed allegedly great men such as Alexander the Great and Rienzi who have served as role models for later leaders. We could mention Malborough for his descendant Winston Churchill. Today is Sunday, and for millions Jesus Christ is a role model. Let us descend from the sublime to the mundane and consider Simon Bolivar as a role model for President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Like all leaders of American independence, Bolivar has been sanitized and glorified, but in reality he has much in common with Chavez. He was probably a mulatto, whereas Chavez is a mestizo. Chavez views himself as another Bolivar, with a similar mission, although Bolivar, coming from a wealthy family, was better educated and more widely traveled.

Let us recall the progress of Bolivar's crusade. Like Chavez, he gained power after initial failure. His revolts in 1811 and 1813 failed, but in 1817 he began his triumphal march through the Andean countries. In 1817 he returned to Venezuela and was victorious at Boyaca in Colombia in 1819.
From Colombia he advanced into Ecuador. His army was victorious at Pichincha, and subsequently at Jun’n and Ayacucho in Peru. This triumphal march ended in Bolivis in 1825; the country was renamed after him. Since then the Bolivarian countries--Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia--have felt a sense of Bolivarian solidarity.

It is reasonable to suppose that this new Bolivar; Hugo Chavez, dreams of carrying his Bolivarian revolution through the Bolivarian countries, liberating them not from Spain but from US style capitalism. He certainly is in touch with friendly elements in the other Bolivarian countries, but his success is far from certain. The main stumbling block is Colombia. Someone should remind him that Spanish American liberators, including Bolivar ended life either disillusioned, in exile, or both. The triumphs of Alexander, Mussolini and Hitler ended in death. Chavez, memento mori!