Аннотация: Victories and changes. 1818 - 1830. A note about chapters 8-19 of Joseph Lavretsky 's book "Bolívar"
Victories and changes. 1818 - 1830. A note about chapters 8-19 of Joseph Lavretsky 's book "Bolívar"
May 2, 1816 Bolivar arrives in Venezuela from Haiti.
Bolivar manifests himself as an outstanding military leader and statesman.
South America, thanks to his efforts, frees himself from the power of Spain.
Many new actors are emerging in the political arena.
For a long future years, an entirely new political situation is being created - so complex and multi-vector that on our part an attempt to describe it in a brief note would have seemed presumptuous.
Let consider only a few topics.
After Boves, Morales became the head of the llanero. The author of the book does not describe how Morales ended his career. But Morales is being replaced by a metis Páez.
Paez becomes the leader of llanero, and llanero changes their orientation - from supporters of the Spaniards they turn into opponents of the Spaniards.
As a result, Paez becomes the president of Venezuela. In addition, he becomes the largest landowner in Venezuela.
'The Venezuelan congress at the instigation of Paez, who only a year ago swore allegiance to Bolivar, now declared the Liberator' a traitor to the homeland, an ambitious, destroyer of freedom, 'and expelled him from the country forever.'
Joseph Lavretsky is trying to assess the mood and words of Bolivar after the victory of the cause of independence.
'The case of independence won, and he, the Liberator, sick and abandoned by all, must seek refuge in a foreign land; compatriots squabble with each other, like cannibals. ' (Joseph Lavretsky does not indicate the source of the citation).
'I am old, sick, tired, disappointed, offended, defamed and penniless,' the Liberator wrote to his friends in Bogotá. '(...) In these last days I even regretted the uprisings that we raised against the Spaniards ...'
'America cannot be controlled,' Bolivar told his friends in Cartagena. - (...) These countries will certainly fall into the hands of an uncontrolled crowd, in order to then pass into the power of petty tyrants of all colors and races, devoured by ambition and perishing by the hands of murderers. ' (Joseph Lavretsky does not indicate the source of the citation).
('Spanish America is free, but freedom has come at a high cost. Over a million people died in the fifteen-year war of independence, approximately the same quantity as in the entire period of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. Gran Colombia, with a population of three million, lost over half a million people.
During the war, huge material values were destroyed: cities and villages, ports, roads and bridges were destroyed; the development of mines has been abandoned, and much damage has been done to agriculture." (Joseph Lavretsky does not indicate the source of citation)).
A few words Joseph Lavretsky devotes to Paez.
'From the whole grandiose program of Bolivar, the leader of llanero understood only one thing: if the Bolivar project would implemented, then Venezuela would become independent, and he, Paez, would rule it, as the Spanish Captain General once ruled.'
Some readers may ask an abstract rhetorical question: whose a management is preferable - of the Spanish Captain General or of Paez? Some readers from the 21st century may intuitively feel a more trust in the Spanish Captain General than in Paez (although Paez certainly had virtues).
Readers of Joseph Lavretsky's book may attempt to juxtapose hypothetical Spanish America in the 20th century with the modern, independent South and Latin America. I suppose that these two socio-cultural systems differ from each other so seriously that comparing them is difficult.
After gaining independence, many energetic and talented figures in all spheres of activity appeared in the countries of South America. Many countries have achieved outstanding success. In this situation, to do attempts to build assumptions - and how would events develop while maintaining Spain 's power? - such attempts can look like only as a training of fantasy...
'Simon Bolivar, as well as San Martin, O'Higgins, Artigas, Hidalgo, Morelos, Jose Marti and other national heroes of Latin America, continues to be in the ranks of fighters for the happiness of their peoples. Honor and glory to them! ' - with these words Joseph Lavretsky completed his book "Bolivar".
May 14, 2020 22:59
Translation from Russian into English: May 14, 2020 23:58.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Победы и перемены. 1818 - 1830. Заметка о главах 8-19 книги Иосифа Лаврецкого 'Боливар''.